


14th Dimension: ArrowFlash

by ImaKaraTabiHe



Series: Where Home Lies [3]
Category: Arrow (TV 2012), Justice League - All Media Types, The Flash (TV 2014), Young Justice - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe, Dimension Travel, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, dimension hopping, speedsters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-24
Updated: 2016-10-11
Packaged: 2018-06-10 12:57:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 10
Words: 32,469
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6957409
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ImaKaraTabiHe/pseuds/ImaKaraTabiHe
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Before Wally ended up in his 15th dimension, he traveled to the dimension of the Flash and Arrow.  All he's looking for is his home, but he winds up finding them along the way.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Wally opened his eyes as the energy raced over his body.  In the distance, he could see a glowing portal, getting bigger as he approached it.  'Bingo!'  He was finally to the next dimension.  He smiled to himself, hopefully this dimension would be better than the last.

He squinted as the light grew too bright to look at.  Blinking as he opened his eyes, he shrieked.  “Wall!  Wall!  _Fuck!_ ”  He ran passed several figures in the room he'd entered.  There was too much speed to suddenly stop and he wasn't ready to just phase through the damn wall.  Seriously.  It's a good thing he'd learned a bit from Dick about acrobatics.

As soon as he got close to the wall, he darted up it and flipped back onto the floor, crouching to absorb the shock.  Wally eyed the wall and cursed fluently in Chinese, mocking its existence.  He even went over and gave it a good kick, trying to calm his anger, but all it did was hurt.  He grimaced and bounced up and down holding onto his hurt food.

“Fucking broke my toes, dammit all!”  Wally swore and plopped down on the floor, wincing as he popped his broken toes back in place.

“Ahem!”  Someone cleared their throat and he jerked his head around, body tense for a fight to see some familiar outfits.  Green Arrow, or someone with similar fashion, was pointing an arrow right at him.  To his side was Flash, although his costume was a little bit different.  Wally could see his eyes through the cowl.

“Um.. Got milk?”

The Flash raised his eyebrow and smirked a little.  “Do you need milk?”  Ooohh, Wally liked this dimension's Flash.  He quipped back.  Heck yes.  Wally tilted his head a little and looked at them like it was obvious.  “The wall did just break my toes,” he said.  Green Arrow snorted, amused.  “Nope, think you did that part on your own.”

“Why would I break my own toes?  Besides, it takes two to tango or in this case break toes,” Wally motioned towards the wall.  Someone burst out laughing.  Wally's eyes caught a figure behind the two heroes, bent over laughing.  “I love this guy!”  Wally grinned, someone thought he was funny.

He stretched, cautiously wiggling his toes and hissing in pain when the bones rubbed together.  “So yeah, do you have milk or anything to eat?”  Wally spotted a protein bar on the floor that he must've knocked over when he arrived.  He snatched it and downed it, trying to remain slow.  “Wait!”  He heard Flash say, but he had already bitten into it.

Wally's face scrunched up.  “Yuck!  This is chocolate flavored?”  He grimaced and finished it off.  “That's also a high calorie protein bar, like seriously high,” Flash said, frowning.  Wally shrugged and wiggled his toes again, smiling when he'd found they healed fast.  “Much better,” he said, stomping once or twice to make a show of it.  “My toes, not the taste,” he quipped.

He felt triumphant as he saw even Green Arrow smirk at that one.  Obviously, he'd been told of the fearful super protein bars.  Whether he'd tasted one or not, Wally couldn't tell, but it was possible.  “Hey,” a blonde woman in a lab could protested, “they aren't that bad!”  Flash snorted, amused.  The woman pouted a little, betrayed by her friend.

“Question: are you the good guys?”  Wally asked.  Honestly, he did need to know.  They looked a bit different from the Green Arrow and Flash he was used to, so he wasn't feeling as threatened.  But a flick of the wrist and a supersonic punch and he could very well be adding them to his list of PTSD grade traumas.

It was amusing to see the two heroes look at each other quizzically.  Seems they were unused to being ask.  “Duh,” the man who'd laughed earlier said.  “It's not cosplay, you know.  They're the real McCoy.”  Wally's left eyebrow darted up.  “Gee, couldn't tell,” he quipped back, probably sounding a little snooty.

“And you are?”  Green Arrow dude asks.  Wally rolls his eyes.  “Obviously the tooth fairy.”  He shook himself after those words slipped through his fingers.  He had to stop using humor as a defense some time.  Though it was hard to tell if that time would ever come.  “I'm sorry,” he tells them with an apologetic smile.  “Been through a lot of shit lately.”

When nobody told him to watch his language, he felt a small rush of satisfaction.  This definitely wasn't his home, but it did look amusing.  “My name is Wally.  Have any experience with other dimensions?”  He blurted out, purposely leaving out his last name.  He didn't want to spring too much on them.

When they nodded, minus Green Arrow, he smiled a little.  “Well then, don't try and kill me and we'll get along great!”  Wally said cheerfully.  “Woah woah woah, little dude,” the guy who'd laughed said.  “You're from another dimension?”  He inclined his head, curious at the over excited reaction.  “Sweet~”  He high-fived Wally, grinning from ear to ear.

“What are you doing here?  Please tell me there's not a dimensional crisis or something,” Flash begged.  Wally just snorted in amusement.  “Not that I know of?  I'm actually something of a lost boy,” and no he wasn't referring to Peter Pan, though his de-aged self _did_ look like he could play the part.  “I'm looking for my dimension.  Some stuff happened and the next thing I know I'm in the Speed Force.  Then I somehow get flung to another dimension,” he continued, stomach rolling a little at the feeling of leaving the Speed Force.

That had everyone blinking in shock.  Except for Green Arrow, or was he called that here?  Meh.  Arrow dude just looked confused.  “Speed Force,” he'd mouthed to himself as if that would make what he heard make sense.  The guy obviously didn't like not knowing things.  Wally wondered if he had any relation to the Bat here.  Was there even a Bat here?  If not, it would make him sad to not see that rough, gruff kickbutt black knight.

The blonde lady in the lab coat approached him and looked him over.  “Ahh… A doctor?”  She nodded and he shrugged.  “Dr. Caitlin Snow,” introducing herself absentmindedly.  “How are you feeling?  May I test your vitals?  Is your physiology the same as Ba- Flash's?”

Dr. Snow rambled on with a surprising speed as Wally looked at Flash with an eyebrow raised in amusement.  Flash just shrugged with a smile on his face.  He was obviously used to this.

“Dude, I have so many questions for you about the Speed Force,” the guy who'd laughed at his quips came forward, words spilling from his mouth.  “How fast were you going?  How did you get out?  What was it like there?”

Before Wally could open his mouth, Dr. Snow was butting in.  “Cisco, I'm sure your questions can wait, I mean I'm as curious as you are, but I'd like to run some tests to make sure his molecules are going to fall apart.”  Wally's eye twitched a little.  Was that seriously a concern?  He'd been doing fine so far.

“Gee, Doc, thanks for the interesting imagery, but I'll have you know this is not my first dimensional run,” Wally tells them.  “I've done good so far and I'm sure with everything I've been through if anything was going to kill me it'd be alternate Flash and the Justice League.”

Wally frowns to himself as he mentally goes over his more than bitter tone.  He misses the way the others look – shocked, eyes wide, slightly fearful as they exchange private glances with one another.

“Me?”  Flash asked at the same time as Cisco says “Justice League?”

Wally eyes them with an eyebrow raised in curiosity, tapping his foot lightly.  “Um, well, yeah?  What?  Is there no Justice League here?”  Cisco shakes his head.  Green Arrow look-alike staring with an admittedly piercing gaze that makes Wally a bit more than uncomfortable after all he's been through, but the outfits are a bit different and this guy doesn't feel remotely like his Uncle Ollie, so it's easy to separate the two.

“Justice League – group of superheroes?”  They shake their heads.  “Headquarters in space?”  Cisco's jaw drops and he numbly shakes his head.  “Ah,” Wally says, feeling relieved and amused at the lack of a Justice League in this dimension.  “Cool,” he mutters to himself.

There's several moments of silence that cause the slurping of a drink to resound in the room.  Everyone looks at Cisco who smiles sheepishly and stops.

“Anywho!  So,” He points to Flash. “Barry Allen, right?”  Flash frowns.  “Well, yes, but how did -?”  He points to the archer.  “Oliver Queen?”  He asks the second time more carefully because this archer has a darker feel to him.  He's not certain, but the archer scowls, which is basically a 'yes' to him.

“Who told you,” Oliver – because he's not sure of his alter-ego here – demands.

Wally just shrugs.  “Well you did.  Actually, not 'you'.  My 'you' did.  Uncle Ollie had this bet that I'd go nuts over an archer instead of a Speedster, which didn't work out, by the way.”

It's easy to see how confused they look, but despite his confusion, Wally can see Barry smirk victoriously.  Apparently being chosen over an arrow was as joyous an occasion here as it was in his home dimension.  Oliver just scowls beneath his green mask.  'Must be his default expression,' Wally thinks to himself, amused.

“You don't call yourself 'Green Arrow', do you?”  Flash shakes his head as Arrow guy's face just looks blank.  “Close, he's Arrow now,” Flash tells him, leaning in to whisper “but he used to be called Hood.”

Wally can't help the small snort of laughter.

“Well, Iris called you the Streak,” Cisco mentions, “offhandedly” and Wally cannot stop the full blown laughter.

“Oh my God, are you serious!?  The Streak!?”  Wally swallows his laughter before he starts shaking as he tries to contain it.  “There goes the Streak!” he says in a very official sounding voice,  “...streaking by.”

Oliver cracks a grin and chuckles at Flash's wounded look while Cisco and Dr. Snow can't hide their laughter.  Flash finally smiles a little bit.  “Good one, kid.”

A shudder rips through Wally's form as he chokes, laughter fading away.  _Kid._   'Fuck.'

Everyone stops laughing when they notice Wally's no long laughing and quite honestly he looks like a kicked puppy.

“Are you alright?” Dr. Snow asks him, concern in her eyes.  Wally takes a breath to steady himself and nods.  “All good.  Just some memories,” he admits and waves it off like it was nothing.

He notices Oliver and.. -should he call him Barry?  Why not- Barry exchanging glances, speaking with their eyes.  'Close,' he notes.

“So… how long are you going to be here?”

Wally cocked his head to the side and furrowed his brows.  That was a good question.  How long _was_ he going to be there?  It wasn't his home.  That much had been verified by the people and the names.  His world didn't have a Cisco or Dr. Snow, at least none that he knew of and this Flash appeared younger than his.

Honestly, he had no real reason to stay and every reason to go, but there were some.. less important reasons.  He needed a break.  It wasn't his body that felt battered but his mind and his heart.  It felt like all the terrible things were just building up inside and were threatening to bury him.  So yeah, he needed a break.

“I could stay for a while.. Maybe a week or so.”  Wally shot a glance at Barry and Oliver.  “If it's okay with you,” he tacked on, slightly anxious that they might not let him stay.  They might've been family in his dimension, but here they were under no obligation to take him in.

“Okay!”  Wally's eye twitched as Barry tugged off his cowl, face lightening up with excitement.  “You can stay with me!”

“Pst, are you sure?”  Cisco asked Barry, voice low, but not impossible to pick up on.

Barry shrugged.  “Why not?  We're both Speedsters and technically Iris and Joe already know about me, so Wally won't have to hide there either.”

Wally's body stiffened at the mention of Iris and he could see Oliver's eyes narrow behind his mask, noticing the motion.  Wally ignored him and his childish side seemed to whine at the idea of being back with his aunt and uncle.

He shuddered and gave himself a shake, because this wasn't his home and this dimension's Iris and Barry weren't his aunt and uncle.

“What do you think, Wally?”

Wally jolted out of his thoughts and looked at Barry with a sort of confused look.  “Hunh?  About what?”  Then he remembered and shuffled nervously.  “Oh, yeah, sounds good.  Maybe… give me a second?”

He didn't wait for their response as he zipped over to a computer and speed searched this world.  It wasn't hard to find information about Barry and his family as well as Oliver.  The Flash and Arrow were prominent figures in the media, which Wally just shrugged at and kept reading.  “Singularity?”  That was new.  'Barry Allen – coma – lightning – meta-humans'.

One thing that stuck out was sightings of a Speedster in yellow.  It made his heart sink and his fast pace stuttered to a halt.

“What the--!?”

“Zoom?”  Wally asked, eyes fearfully wide.

Cisco blinked and looked at Barry who look similarly lost.  “No.. we called him the 'Reverse Flash'.”

'Reverse Flash?'  Wally breathed out in relief.  “So, not Zoom.  Cool.”

“Zoom,” Cisco frowned.  Wally just waved it off, although video of the Reverse-Flash made him shiver in fear because the two were so similar they could be twins and wasn't that a scary thought.

“So.. Eobard was your evil enemy,” Wally said, mostly talking to himself, “like Zoom is my evil enemy… Well, this is fucked up.”  He began to pace back and forth, ignoring the looks between the others.

“Reverse-Flash goes after Barry and Zoom comes after me.. just my luck.  Seriously?  What is this?  Why does the world hate Speedsters so much?  Not like we could all just get along, no that would be too hard.  Gotta have someone trying to kill Flash and Kid Flash.  Obviously.”

“Wally?”

“Must be some sort of game… Fucked up, that's what it is..”

“Wally!”

Wally stumbled, startled out of his depressing rant about the world.  Barry tapped his foot, frowning the same way his uncle would when Wally made a mistake or did something wrong.  “Um..” Wally bit his lip, sheepishly.  “What?”

“We have no idea what you're talking about, but you're starting to panic,” Oliver told him, bluntly.

Wally blinked and looked at his trembling hand before looking back up at them with a small, wavering smile.  “Oops?  Sorry.”

Cisco just shook his hand and clapped a hand on Wally's shoulder.  “Man, dude, you Flashes have the worst luck.”  Wally looked at Barry who gave him a small, encouraging smile with an expression that said he didn't think Cisco was wrong in his assumptions.

“Just our luck?” Wally shrugs.  Cisco snorts while Oliver frowns, unamused with his response.

“So, do you want to tell us what you’re doing here?” Oliver asks, trying not to sound demanding, but failing at it.  He was very intimidating in this dimension.

Wally sighs, running a hand through his hair.  “You wouldn’t believe me.  I don’t even know where to start.”

“We know that you’re a Flash,” a cool, familiar voice states from the doorway that has everyone’s heads whipping to find the source.

“Uncle Len!” Wally cries with a big smile on his face.  Oliver and Barry who had tensed as the sight of Captain Cold faltered enough to look at him in astonishment.  Cisco’s jaw has dropped open and Caitlin just blinks in shock.

Captain Cold raises an eyebrow.  “’Uncle Len’?”  He smirks a little.  “Never been called anyone’s uncle.”

“Seriously, Snart?  That’s what you get from it?” Barry snarks.

“Wait.”  Oliver cautiously says, body remaining tense and ready to strike at the thief at any moment.  “You said he’s ‘a Flash’…”

Cold looks at Oliver critically and gestures towards Wally’s hand.  “Either that or he has some relation to the Flash.  Look at his hand.”

Everyone’s eyes shoot to Wally’s hand and his brows furrow in confusion as he looks where everyone else is.  “Oh.”  He had completely forgotten about the ring adorned with a lightning bolt – the Flash’s symbol.  “Oops.”

Wally’s cheeks reddened at the sudden attention on him.  “Seriously, Uncle Len, you’re outing me?”

Cold just shrugs like this doesn’t affect him in any way and there’s nothing weird about this situation.  Barry looks at Cold with a betrayed kind of look that Wally doesn’t understand.  He knows that they’re not friends persay.  They’re more like two opposites that frequent the same wave length.

“Really, Snart?  This isn’t weirding you out being called ‘Uncle Len’ and a kid Speedster just coming out of nowhere?”

Cold just shrugs.  “Just another day in Central, I guess.”  He gives Barry a more critical look.  “And aren’t you just the embodiment of the unusual being a meta-human yourself?”

Barry looks sheepishly down and kicks the floor in a very Barry-like action, defeated.  “You’re right,” he says with a sigh before he looks over at Wally again.  “Sorry,” he smiles apologetically.

Wally inclines his head, although he’s feeling a little bit lost on what just happened, but he’s a Speedster, he can roll with it.

“So.. are you a Flash or some relation?” Cisco asks, eyes flicking over to Cold with caution like he’s watching a bear that might attack him.  ‘Polar bear,’ Wally snickers to himself because it’s oddly fitting.

“Both-ish?”  He was called Kid _Flash_ , plus he’d been the Flash in the first dimension he’d woken up in.  There was no question about his relation to Barry Allen – they were family.

Oliver raised an eyebrow at his answer, unsatisfied.  “’Ish’?”

“Ish,” Wally stated firmly.

“Are you going to be this vague about everything?”  Wally glanced over at Cold who had a glint in his eyes that he recognized.  It was the same glint that his Uncle Len got when he had found something new he wanted to steal.

“May~be?” Wally said, drawing out the word in a long tone.

“Or you could just tell us now, you know,” Barry suggested, trying to appear like he was saying it offhandedly, but Wally knew better.  He wanted to know.  Cold wasn’t about to give up on answers, even though he didn’t seem as open as his Captain Cold was.  Oliver had his eyes narrowed at Wally that reminded him of a hawk ready to snag its prey.

With those three, the answers were bound to come out sometime.

“Fine,” Wally threw his arms up in the air exasperated.  “Just know that if you dare try to attack me, I will most likely jab my vibrating hand through your body.”

Seeing Caitlin and Cisco’s horrified looks, as well as the way they stepped back and the way the two heroes and the Rogue tensed slightly he quickly added, “Not on purpose, I mean!”

Skeptical looks met him and he rambled on, “I mean that I’ve been through a lot and I’m most likely going to lash out if anyone threatens my safety.”

‘Either that or fall apart into a crying mess of tears,’ Wally thought to himself, frowning.  “God, I’m a mess.”

Caitlin stepped forward, a maternal instinct of hers kicking in as she saw the dark, broken look on Wally’s face.  “Hey,” she murmured softly.  “It’s okay.  Nobody is going to hurt you,” she assured him, glaring like a harpy at the criminal and two heroes.  It was clear that if anyone dared, they would find themselves sawed into little bits and scattered over a lake or some odd fate.

“Yeah, man,” Cisco grinned at him.  “What she said.” Although he kept shooting her glances like she could turn on him and tear him to shreds if he overstepped his bounds.

Cold scoffed, “Like I’d hurt some meta-kid.”

Barry’s eyebrow quirked at Cold’s statement, but he didn’t call him out as a liar so Wally assumed Barry trusted Cold that much.  Probably not much more than that though.

Oliver crossed his arms, looking about as harmless as a rabid bear.  “I don’t kill people anymore.”

Wally eyed him with suspicion, because wasn’t that weird?  He couldn’t imagine his Uncle Ollie killing anyone.  Ever.  Yet this Oliver seemed to have been killing criminals until recently.  It was a scary thought actually.

Mind made up, he took a deep breath and began.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wally tells them how he ended up flung across time and space and somehow they end up ordering pizza.

He took a deep breath. “I'm not from this dimension, as I've already told you. My dimension is similar to this one, at least. I know Barry, Oliver, and Le- Cold's other selves there. It's not so different. Barry and Oliver are heroes and Captain Cold is still the leader of the Rogues.” Wally nodded to them each in turn. Cold smirked a little, looking proud of himself, while Oliver just looked skeptical. Barry was just nodding like a child in a classroom, which was amusing.

“However,” Wally added, “I don't know any Cisco or Dr. Snow, so I'm not sure about their existence.” Apologetically smiling at the two, he continued, “There was no fall out from a particle accelerate and Star Labs doesn't exactly help Flash. At least, not directly.”

Wally mentally went over the list of things that Star Labs did do in his dimension before verbally listing them. “Star Labs is one of the places that injured heroes are taken for medical care. They also create some amazing technology there.”

Kicking the ground, nervously he adds, “It was where Flash brought me when I had my em… _accident_.”

Caitlin interrupts the pause to question, “What kind of 'accident' are we talking about?” Her eyes run over Wally's form, critical.

He rubs the back of his neck, a nervous habit he picked up from his uncle. “I sorta kinda.. blew myself up to give myself super-speed,” he mutters, feeling guilty as his uncle and aunt's worried faces surfaced in his memories.

“I'm sorry. What. What do you mean you 'blew yourself up to get super-speed'?” Cisco asks, eyes narrowing suspiciously. Wally ignores the piercing gazes of the other four as he answers, “I found out my uncle,” he lets his eyes wander over to Barry before jerking back towards the floor, “- how he became Flash and well.. all the chemicals I needed weren't that hard to get and all I needed was an intense burst of electricity and well..”

Wally coughs, biting his lip a little, “I gave myself super-speed.”

There's an unnerving silence that fills the room as everyone takes in what he said. Processing the details of how Wally gave himself super-speed through science, blew himself up on purpose.. At least Barry responds as quickly as a normal Speedster does.

“What the fuck” is not exactly the response he was expecting to come out of his uncle's Other self, but maybe it's a byproduct of the age discrepancy between dimensions?

“You blew yourself up. To become a Flash?” Barry asks as his foot taps the floor in agitation.

Wally shrugs, “Um.. yeah?”

“What the Hell, kid!?” Wally covers his ears as Barry yells at him, calling him an 'idiot' and telling him just how dangerous such a thing was.

A blast of icy cold air graciously singes Barry's side, causing him to wince and promptly look at Cold, jaw hanging open in shock.

“Much better. Silence is a lot more becoming of you, Scarlet,” Cold drawls. “Now, you can tell him what a stupid idea that was as long as you keep _cool_.”

Wally raises an eyebrow as he looks at Cold. “Really? You too? What is it with all the Captain Colds and puns?”

Oliver snorts, amused, while Barry smirks a little as the shock wears off.

“Dude, he makes, like, the worst puns ever. I swear I have to hear them whenever Flash fights the Rogues over the comm,” Cisco complains, lower lip jutting out in self-pity.

Cold glares at the scientist, “Excuse me, have you heard yourself?”

Caitlin coughs, trying to hide her laughter at Cisco's insulted appearance.

“I'll have you know I am the prince of puns and the king at naming people!” Cisco responds, childishly.

Barry groans, “No Cisco, you're really not.”

Cisco puts his hands on his heart, looking betrayed. “You're supposed to be on my side, Barry! Bros before bad guys!”

Wally snickered at the display before him. They were like a family. That thought instantly brought him down. Smile turned into a frown and he internally curled in on himself. He missed them. He felt a wet line trickle down his cheek.

'Shit.'

Speeding, he wiped the tear away and rubbed his eyes viciously, making them red. He didn't miss the way Barry's eyes glimmered with sympathy, although the act had been too fast for the others to see. It appeared Oliver and Cold didn't miss the change in his posture though and their eyes appraised him silently.

Wally kept his focus on the two oblivious people in the room and smiled, forced. “Anyways! It worked and I became a Speedster. I was only like.. eleven, but~ I became Flash's partner,” he said, grinning as he remembered how often Roy had mentioned that he _hated_ being treated like a sidekick.

Eyes turned towards Barry. “Flash's partner?” Barry frowned and felt the need to point out that it wasn't him.

“Kid Flash! At least, I was called that,” he corrected himself. “I had to give up the hero life for a bit.” Shrugging, he continued, “Turns out there were a few hiccups in my plan to become a Speedster and well… the more I used my speed the faster I was dying.”

Barry, Cisco, and Caitlin look equally horrified at the idea. Oliver's eyes are narrowed, more in thought than anything and he seems to take covert glances at Barry, as if he was worried that it could happen to him, which was sweet when Wally thought about it. Cold.. has a kind of frown that seems almost… worried? It reminds him of his Uncle Len and makes him smile a little.

“It wasn't my idea to quit, Uncle Barry kind of left me little choice. And Aunt Iris,” Wally groaned as he remembered how his aunt had cried and begged him to give up being a hero.

Barry smiled sadly, as if he too knew exactly how Wally felt.

“Anyways, I took some time to get more schooling done,” he says, forcefully chipper. “The Team did fine without me. Plus Bart came from the future to help out, so no one really missed me.” He frowned for a moment before correcting himself, “I mean, Bart took over being Kid Flash, so no one would notice.”

Wally took a deep breath, any light in his eyes fading and posture being tense. “And then.. there was the REACH.”

The memories overflowed and made his heart clench in fear as he told them about the REACH's plan to take over the world, how it had almost worked, and how he was involved.

“I couldn't just stand there and watch Flash and Kid Flash take on the REACH on their own. There was no way they could siphon enough energy to stop the REACH without help, so I just.. flashed to over there.”

“Besides, what Speedster can actually 'sit still'?”

Barry flushed a little as everyone either nodded or snorted in agreement. Wally grinned at the younger Barry.

“So? What happened?” Cisco questioned.

Wally sighed, grin fading away. “The energy fed into my Speed and I just.. vanished into the Speed Force. It was a lot like those 'now you see it, now you don't' tricks.” Wally shrugs, helplessly. He purposely avoids talk of the Black Speedster. If he didn't read anything on that topic, he wasn't about to mention it. It could _not_ exist here, couldn't it?

“Speed Force?” Cold questioned, looking curiously between Barry and Wally. Arrow didn't look clued in either, so Cold counted that as 'knowledge not available to the general public' – the general public in this case being heroes outside of 'Team Flash'.

Barry looked at Wally with a shrug. “You wanna take this one?”

Wally returned his shrug as he answered, “The Speed Force is like the origin of all Speedsters' abilities, well, not all because there are a few exceptions. But! Those Speedsters who are connected to the Speed Force can do wonderful things with their speed, like vibrate through things, throw lightning, ex cetra. It's not like fuel persay, it's like what maintains our speed, but not us, you know?”

“Once a Speedster ends up there, it's almost impossible to get out.” Wally shrugs, “I'm not even sure how I made it out. I wasn't exactly trying.” Barry frowned, prompting Wally to add on, “Not that I didn't want to escape. Well, it's just that the Speed Force is kind of like Heaven. Once you're there you forget what it was like outside.. in the real world. Everyone you love you can kind of remember, but you feel so at peace and lost at the same time. It's like nothing you've ever felt – and like nothing you could ever runaway from.”

Wally's eyes glazed over a little, both horrified and desiring for that feeling again. The longing to just float in that empty space, free of worries, of pain, but also free of _life_ and of love. The way Speed Force energy wrapped around him and held him close makes him shiver.

“Wally?”

“Hey, kid.”

“Wally!”

Wally jerks back into reality, shaking himself quickly. Everyone, even Cold, are looking at him with concern and a sort of helpless look like there's something they can't fix. “Wha?”

“You kinda zoned out on us, dude,” Cisco tells him as Caitlin's eyes run across his form.

“And you're sparking,” Barry adds.

“Sparking?” Barry gestures to Wally's body and he looks down at himself to see little sparks of lightning dancing over his body, singing his clothes.

“Shit!” Wally yelps as he pats himself down, putting out any sparks he sees. He looks up at them and blushes deeply. “I swear that never used to happen before I got tossed into another dimension,” he promises, trying not to seem like a newbie to his powers.

Before anyone but Wally realizes, Barry has his hand on Wally's shoulder and he's lightly squeezing it reassuringly. Wally gives Barry a small smile that's only slightly marred by the memory of his uncle.

“How did you escape?” Oliver questions, eyes narrowed at Wally in a way that reminds him just how deadly Oliver can be. He's especially reminded because this Oliver is darker than his Uncle Ollie and he apparently has killed in the past. 'Yikes,' Wally shudders to himself internally.

Caitlin clears her throat, glaring at Oliver in a way that makes him twitch slightly. If looks could kill, he'd be a pile of ash on the floor that Caitlin would gladly trample under her heels. Cisco and Barry exchanged looks that said they were glad it wasn't directed at them.

Wally smiles at Caitlin gratefully. “Actually, I'm not sure how I made it out. I just.. fell.” At least, he thinks he fell. It's hard to know exactly what happened when he didn't even remember the feeling of falling or if he _could_ fall in the Speed Force that seemed a lot like Limbo.

“I woke up aboard the Watchtower.” His eyebrows knit together. “ _A_ Watchtower.” It hadn't been the Watchtower he knew though. There weren't other heroes besides the Original Seven there. And him.

Wally grins, smugly as the scene replayed in his head. Waking up, he'd been frightened at first, confused. There had been suspicion that he was a clone or some nonsense. He'd suspected it was all in his head, but when Flash had withdrawn his cowl and he'd been left staring at an older version of his self was when he _knew_ it wasn't in his head. He would never have imagined himself as the Flash. His uncle? Yes. Himself? As far as he was concerned there was only one Flash and he wasn't him.

He tells them about how he'd woken up in the first dimension and how he'd been one of the heroes he'd seen. Wally tries not to tell them too much about the Justice League in case they are tempted to find out more about their Other selves here. If the Justice League was going to form here, it wouldn't do to give them insider information.

“And after they helped me figure out dimensional travel and I'd rested up enough, I started searching dimension after dimension trying to find mine. The time period and my memories as well as the memories of others were all I had to go on to check whether or not it was my home,” Wally shrugs and hesitates for a moment longer than normal for a Speedster. “Not all dimensions are as nice, though.”

Wally tries not to step away from the heroes. He really does, but he doesn't think they'll like what he has to say and in his experience when people don't like what they're hearing they tend to react… badly.

He avoids anyone's eyes after he steps away from them a little more. “I found one dimension that had almost everything right,” he explains, biting his lip enough to taste blood. “But there was a problem and something happened to make my friends turn on the other heroes. Only I was unaffected, so the other heroes – Flash and Green Arrow too – they wanted answers, ones that only I could answer they thought and when I couldn't give them to them…”

“They tortured you,” Cold finishes bluntly for him, no hesitation, no fanfare. His ears pick up the sharp gasps of Barry, Caitlin, and Cisco as they look back at forth between Cold and Wally. Oliver's jaw tightening is almost audible as he grits his teeth.

“We – they -” Barry corrects himself, looking somber, “they couldn't… They thought you did it?” His voice is full of guilt and disbelief.

Wally nods, slowly as his hands clench the bottom of his shirt. He shivers slightly as memories pop up, but he shakes himself.

“Oh Sweetie.” Wally freezes as he feels arms wrap around him and pull him against a warm body. It's Dr. Snow – Caitlin, who hugs him against her protectively, ignoring the way he's stilled in fear. She smells like all the sterile environment of a doctors office, but there's also the undertone of cinnamon that warms him inside and he relaxes in her arms, letting her stroke his ginger hair gently. “I'm so sorry,” she murmurs to him softly.

Wally doesn't know her. Any of her, but she's close with this dimension's Barry, that much is obvious and she has a gentle touch. Her eyes are warm and she's been nothing but kind to him, despite her desire to question his physiology, so he leans against her. It feels nice in her arms, nice to be cared for and comforted as he had been by his aunt. He likes her.

Oliver and Barry make no moves to get closer to Wally, painfully aware of the implications of what has been done to Wally. They've seen too much between their time as vigilantes and between Oliver's time on the island and Barry's job as a CSI. If anything, they'll let Wally come to them.

Cold looks on as the doctor holds Wally in her arms, motherly. His eyes are soft and yet his hands are bunched into fists, shaking with the desire to hurt, to harm, to beat the ones who hurt the kid to a pulp. He's more than well aware of what comes from having those who should protect you beat you so badly it's hard to trust others. He still has a hard time trusting others, even though he's free of his father. The idea that this kid has most likely gone through worse makes his hands twitch for his cold gun.

Cisco is frowning. He's not sure how to make things better. As a scientist, he's used to find solutions and helping Flash has placed him in a unique situation to help others with his inventions, but right now he feels helpless. There's nothing he can do except be himself, which is why when he hears Wally's stomach growl, he forces a smile on his face. “Anyone want pizza?”

Wally smiles as he pulls away from Caitlin, wiping his eyes that threaten to spill over. “How many?”

Cisco grins, “As many as you want.” He enjoys the way Wally's eyes sparkle with joy. Barry smiles too and raises his hand. “I could eat too,” his stomach echoing Wally's. Caitlin smiles and echoes Barry's sentiment, although without the rumble of a Speedster stomach. Oliver just shrugs and says “Pizza might be nice,” as if he didn't especially like pizza, but that was surely a lie. Who hates pizza, after all?

“What about you, Snart?” Barry asks turning to Cold, who raises an eyebrow. “You want to have dinner together like what? Friends?” Cold responds, amused. Barry shrugs, “Maybe?”

Oliver looks critical of Barry's decision to invite Cold and Cisco and Caitlin look a little wary but not overly so that they think Barry's off his rocker. Seeing the look Oliver sends Barry makes Cold smile smugly. “Well, I suppose we could be friends for a dinner. Besides who doesn't love pizza?” Oliver scowls at the Rogue, who proceeds to catch Wally's eye under the radar and wink at him victoriously causing Wally cough as he tries to hold back laughter. Cold did always love to taunt others and tick them off when they couldn't do a thing about it.

Cisco walks over to a phone, pulling several pizza menus from a desk drawer and riffling through them. “Supreme? Stuffed crust? Cheese? Meat lovers?”

“Vegetable,” Cold throws in. Cisco looks at Cold like he's crazy, but shrugs it off. “Just get one of everything and then five cheese and five meat lovers. Stuffed crust for all,” Barry tells him. Caitlin nods, slowly before she adds in, “Make it three vegetable.” When Cisco looks at her she shrugs and replies, “Everyone needs to eat their vegetables.”

Wally smiles as Cisco orders the pizza, standing next to Caitlin, closer to Cold than to the two vigilantes, who seem to be discussing his situation (most likely) in hushed voices. Wally doesn't mind. He thinks he likes his dimension. When Cisco adds in a dessert pizza with chocolate on top when Caitlin's distracted, smiling at Wally, he can't help but think, 'Yeah, I think I'm going to like it here.'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so happy to be able to add this chapter so soon. I'm loving the way Cold taunts Oliver.
> 
> Hope you enjoy Memorial Day (should you be celebrating it) and that you enjoyed this chapter. Tell me what you think if you have time or any suggestions as to a little scene you might want to see (no promises but I do love hearing what you think).
> 
> Have a lovely day/night!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pizza for dinner ends like the scene from an old Western.  
> This chapter depicts Wally's first night in this dimension.

Pizza seems to be the weirdest prelude to duking out who gets the last slice of cheese pizza. Caitlin stopped eating after her third slice, while all the boys kept at it. Cold was the second to stop eating after his fourth slice of vegetable, stealthily sliding the remaining pizza under some papers to keep any Speedsters from gobbling it down. Oliver managed to finish almost half of a pizza, while Cisco managed to eat one full one.

As most things involving food came down to it, Barry and Wally eyed each other over the last slice of cheese, having already devoured all the other slices with only the dessert pizza remaining out of reach (compliments of Caitlin and her glare). Wally's eyes flicked from the pizza slice to Barry and back. Their hands twitched, aching to grab the last slice, but they remained still in a silent battle that somehow resembled an old Western type duel.

Oliver, Cisco, Caitlin, and Cold watched with amused glances at the tense atmosphere over pizza. Of all things, pizza. It made them a bit dizzy trying to watch how both Speedsters' eyes raced back and forth from the slice of pizza to each other.

Wally bit his lip, just about growling for that last slice. Hey, dimensional travel took a lot out of a person, Speedster or not. With a sudden idea, he smirked evilly.

“Oh god, it's Aunt Iris!” Wally cried pointing behind Barry, face the very picture of shock and awe. When Barry whirled around looking like a frightened puppy, Wally snatched the slice of pizza and practically swallowed it whole before Barry even realized it was a lie.

Cold snickered, “Good job, kid.” Barry was looking at Wally with wide, unbelieving eyes before he smiled in defeat. “That was evil,” he told Wally, but his voice held no hard feelings. If anything he seemed a bit amazed that Wally had tricked him so easily.

Oliver was grinning a little as he watched Barry look at the empty pizza box. Cisco high-fived Wally and Caitlin smiled at him before handing him the box of dessert pizza. “Winner gets first dibs,” she explained, smiling at Barry's look of utter betrayal. Wally grinned as he opened the box and devoured the first slice of chocolatey pizza before holding it out to Barry and letting him have a slice.

Barry smiled at Wally as the two shared the remaining slices of dessert pizza, getting chocolate on their faces. Caitlin looked at Barry's chocolate smudged lips and shook her head with a sigh, muttering something about how he was supposed to be an adult. Wally blushed when she wiped his mouth clean with a napkin.

Finished eating, Wally helps Barry throw the trash away, speeding through the complex to the industrial sized dumpster. When they come back to a stop in the room everyone's gathered in, Barry hesitates for a moment but ruffles Wally's hair gently. Wally doesn't flinch away from his touch, though he might've stiffened for a moment before recognizing that it wasn't an action to hurt him. He sent a small smile towards Barry.

“It's gotten pretty late,” Caitlin says, looking at her watch. Barry yawns on cue and blushes when everyone looks at him. “What?” Cisco just shakes his head with a smile.

“Maybe we should finish this tomorrow,” Oliver suggests, looking a lot less menacing than when Wally had first encountered him earlier that night. Surprisingly, it's Cold who nods and grunts his agreement, “Tomorrow.”

Wally blinks while everyone eyes him astonished. Cold huffs in return. “What? I want to hear what the kid has to say.”

Oliver, Cisco, and Caitlin eye him, leaving Barry to just shrug in defeated acceptance. Obviously used to Cold's demands already. “So you want to meet here tomorrow?”

Cold inclines his head. “Sure, Scarlet.” Wally snorts at the nickname because it's oddly suiting for this dimension's Barry. Barry scowls at Cold who looks especially unaffected.

“What time?” Cisco asks before rambling, “Barry has work tomorrow and I'm probably going to be here all night doing some research.”

Caitlin raises an eyebrow before deciding for everyone. She seemed to have that kind of power. “6PM. Barry's off work at 5 tomorrow.”

Oliver glances at Barry, who shrugs. “Sounds good.” Cold nods.

“Anyone mind if I crashed here?” Wally spoke up. He didn't exactly have enough for a hotel and he wasn't especially wanting to sleep out in the open. He'd done that too often lately.

When he didn't hear a response he looked up to find all eyes on him. Cold and Oliver had contemplating faces while everyone else just looked partially horrified. Wally frowned. “What?”

Caitlin shook her head with a sigh. “You really think we're going to make you sleep here or out in the open?”

Barry piped up, “Do you even have money for a hotel?” Wally shook his head no.

“Dude, we're not cruel,” Cisco adds in. “You can stay with one of us.”

“Wait, didn't Barry offer you to stay with him?” Oliver asks, looking a little confused.

Barry blinks and looks at Oliver then at Cisco and he face palms. “I did, didn't I?”

“And then you ate pizza and you totally forgot, man. I'm telling you, it's like food erases your memory. You're obsessed!” Cisco teases Barry with a grin. Barry scowled playfully at Cisco.

Wally shivered minutely, too fast for anyone to see, although Cold's eyes narrowed for a moment in his direction.

“So what do you say, kid?” Barry questions, smiling at him. 'He might be younger, but he definitely reminds me of Uncle Barry,' he grinned to himself mentally.

Still the idea of staying with Flash in his home and with his family was.. unnerving. He did like this dimension's Barry, who was younger and who seemed to be more restrained and mature than his uncle did most of the time. There was a dark cloud that seemed to hover in his hazel eyes making Wally think that this Barry had been through some dark times that his uncle hadn't been through, though he supposed that came from Eobard and what he had done.

Wally empathized with this Barry and the scars that his past had left on him. He was also envious of his strength. It was the desire to try and be that strong that had Wally nodding and answering a little hesitantly, “Um, okay?”

“Great!” Barry chirped, oblivious to Wally's anxieties. Oliver and Cold, however, were getting the messages Wally's body was sending out – anxiety, fear, insecurity… Oliver left it alone, because offering his safe house wasn't going to change those feelings. Cold, on the other hand, never thought twice about stopping the two Speedsters just before they were about to run off after saying 'Good-night'.

“Hold it,” Cold said, grinning at the way Barry stumbled and glared at him like an upset kitten. Wally looked up at him, pensive. Cold kneeled down, an awkward hand resting on the kid's shoulder as he murmured, “You don't have to stay with him if you don't want to.” Cold slipped a paper with an address written for one of his safe houses that he planned to stay at for the night in Wally's hand, curling the kid's fingers around it. “If you want to, I'm going to stay here for a while.”

“Safe house?” Wally murmured back softly, eyes twinkling. Cold chuckled, secretly wondering just how close the kid's Cold and him were. 'Well, if the kid calls me 'Uncle Len' I suppose we're very close,' he mentally noted.

“Yeah, kid,” Cold replied, grinning. Keeping his voice too low for anyone else to hear he added, “And you can call me 'Uncle Len' if you like.” It wasn't a proposal that he was familiar with. He'd never been any kid's uncle, but he was oddly okay with it. Plus if his Other self was okay with it, why not?

Okay, it was stupid reasoning. There were seemingly endless reasons for him to not be this 'Uncle Len' to the kid, but when he saw the kid smile like he was a hero better than _Flash_ and Arrow combined, he forgot why it was really a stupid reason. 'Uncle Len, I am then,' he smirked to himself.

He startled momentarily as Wally threw his arms around him, but he relaxed with the reminder that it was the kid and not someone else. Newly deemed Uncle Len even returned the hug in earnest. As a bonus, he was also enjoying the gaping mouths and wide eyes of everyone else in the room. Even Arrow looked like the world just turned on its axle.

“Stay chill, kid,” Len told Wally after the hug had ended and he was watching the Speedsters preparing to leave again. Wally smiled brightly at him and waved before he and Barry vanished into a blur.

Zipping through the city at Barry's heels left Wally feeling more nervous and anxious step by step. He could do this...right? It was just staying the night with Barry. Not his uncle, but still a Barry.

.. But he'd been hurt by a Barry one too many times already. Logically he knew that this Barry wouldn't hurt him. He had come to like him already. He quipped and had a team of friends he relied on who kept him balanced and safe. Emotionally? He was still wounded and hurting and all he wanted to do was run the other way at the thought of spending the night in a house without anyone on his side.

When Barry skidded to a halt and Wally stopped right behind him, his heart was practically in his throat and his head was spinning. 'Oh, I can't do this,' he thought with an airy realization.

“B-Barry,” Wally croaked out, frozen in spot. Barry had been walking up to the house, obvious to Wally's frozen state until he heard his name and turned curiously. Wally was looking at him, pale and eyes wide. There was a faint tremor in his body that Barry recognized from himself when he was afraid or angry.

“Kid?” Barry questioned, concerned, flashing up in front of Wally, who flinched away.

Chest heaving like he was a normal person who just ran for five hours, Wally managed to beat out, “I can't stay with you.”

Barry looked confused for a moment before his eyes widened. “Oh.”

Wally nodded shakily. “I'm sorry, I- I just can't.”

Barry nods, understandingly. “Okay,” he says gently. “Where do you need to go?” Not where do you want to go, but where do you _need_ to go.

“Uncle Len gave me his address,” Wally tells Barry automatically. Barry's eyes widen a little at the revelation. It wasn't like Snart to just give his address to someone he'd just met but maybe he found himself fond of the kid like Barry did.

“Okay,” Barry tells him, “Will you be okay?” Wally nods, jerkily. “Cisco will be at STAR all day tomorrow if you need him and I'm sure you can find me if you need to, right?” Another nod. “Okay, be safe,” he finds himself saying. Wally nods and mutters a quick “Good night” before he vanishes, leaving Barry alone in front of Joe's house, staring at the direction Wally disappeared at with a sad look.

Wally has to stop for moment or two to check the address and make sure he's going the right way. The city seems to be basically the same, except with a few twists and turns. He's going to have to remember them because the next left he would've taken didn't even exist. Instead it was the lot of an old church that looked like it was falling apart.

'Well, not everything can be the same,' Wally reminded himself as he sped on, making the next left he saw.

He stops just inches from the door of the safe house having already swept the area for any prying eyes that might see a Speedster showing up at this address.

“Hot, hot, hot!” Wally pulls off his sneakers, waving them in the air. The rubber, despite, being of a strong, good brand (for Speedsters) had melted a little with all his running. He sighs sadly as he eyes the pair of shoes. He'll be needing new shoes before too long. This pair will only last him a little while longer.

Shoes in his left hand and shuffling in his socked feet, he knocks on the door of the safe house. It takes less than a minute for Cold – Uncle Len to open the door. He must've been expecting Wally because he's got a snack in his free hand that he offers to Wally. Smiling he moves to the side, “Come on in, kid.”

Len eyes the shoe-less feet with amusement but doesn't say anything as he shuts the door behind Wally and leads him into the living room. Wally munches on his bag of dried fruit ('really Uncle Len?'), shoes discarded next to the door, as he follows Len.

“There's one bed,” Len tells him, “so you're bunking out here tonight.” It doesn't bother Wally one bit. He's slept in worse lately and a couch is actually a step up from what he was normally able to get. Examining the couch, he notes that there's already a blanket and pillow set up. When he raises an eyebrow at Len, Len just scowls and looks away. 'He definitely expected me,' Wally smiles to himself.

“There's a bathroom through that door,” Len motions to a door. “There's an extra toothbrush you can use and there are some clean clothes you can use if you want to take a shower.” Len gives Wally a once-over before frowning slightly. “Probably a bit big but we can get you some clothes tomorrow.”

Wally's eyes widen. Had Len – this Len, the Len he hadn't met before today, who didn't know him, who he'd never spent time with – just offered to shop for _clothes_ with him? Wally blinked a few times before he realized Len was looking at him for agreement. He nodded to him in response.

Len quirked an eyebrow but didn't bother answering the questions that he knew beyond a shadow of a doubt were going through the kid's mind. Heck, he was asking the same questions to himself, but he shrugged them off. He felt an odd sense of attachment to the kid. It was something that disturbed him a bit but the fond feeling that had been steadily growing since he'd first met him was overpowering.

How was he going to explain the kid staying with him to Mick and Lisa? He'd never live 'Uncle Len' down if they heard. And the Rogues? Yeah, he wasn't about to tell them more than he could help. This thing was solely between him and the kid.

Not that he didn't trust the goody-two-shoes. He trusted them to do whatever they thought was best and that usually involved helping the people and protecting them. Somehow, though, he just couldn't leave this kid, who appeared out of nowhere and was most likely a hero himself, to them.

“I'll just…” Wally trailed off, slipping over to the shower trying not to interrupt Len's thoughts too much. Len just smiled at him and huffed, “Go get clean, kid and then get ready for bed. It's late,” he told him. It was late. The sentiment was oddly domestic though.

He watched as Wally disappeared into the bathroom and heard the shower turn on, water beating in upon the shower floor. 'He didn't even question it,' Len remarked to himself. They must've been close indeed for the kid to follow Len's words like that so blindly.

He wonders for a moment if the him that the kid knows, his Other self is somewhere out there, worried out of his mind looking for him. He tries to imagine himself like that. It's difficult, but if it were Lisa… He'd ice everyone and everything that stood between him and his sister. Perhaps that what it's like for his Other self?

Len startles internally when Wally pops his head out of the bathroom, ginger hair dripping slightly. “What's the matter, kid?”

Wally hesitates for a moment, opening and closing his mouth before he says with a blush. “These clothes are definitely too big.”

Raising an eyebrow, Len clicks his tongue. “Let's see it.”

Wally takes a breath and slips out into the living room fully. The t-shirt looks more like a dress on him and he's holding the sweat pants up with one hand around the bunched up waistband. Len winces. Definitely too big. ..And maybe a little… cute?

He coughs minutely, “Maybe we tie the waistband together to tighten it?”

Wally just stands there, looking extremely small in the t-shirt that slips off his shoulder showing his collar bones. It's cute but that's not what draws his attention there. Along his shoulder and collar, there are a variety of colors from blue to yellow and purple, even to sickening white that stands out against his skin. Bruises. Scars.

Len's eyes narrow before he reins in the emotions flooding through him. He moves to the kitchen and opens up a drawer. “Ah, here we are.” He pulls out a rubber band and pads over to Wally. “Do you want me to or..?”

Wally doesn't even hesitate as he pulls the long shirt up with his free hand, leaving Len to do as he questioned. Len takes the bunched up waistband and ties it with the rubber band. It looks like a ponytail of sweatpants, but it seems to hold up. “Better?”

The kid nods with a smile and thanks him before he bends down and rolls the bottom of the sweatpants up so that he's not going to trip over them when he walks. Len grabs a clean dishtowel and rubs Wally's hair dry as he's bent down fixing his sweatpants. “Gotta remember to dry your hair, kid,” he murmurs.

Wally looks up at him with a sheepish smile and a faint blush on his cheeks. 'Huh,' Len thinks. 'A little Scarlet. Except it's a lot cuter on him.' He throws the towel onto the kitchen counter as Wally straightens up.

“Brushed your teeth?” Wally nods. “Good, then it's bedtime. Unless you need anything else..?”

Wally shakes his head and slips over to the couch, plopping down and spreading himself out. He doesn't take up the whole couch and it makes Len raise an eyebrow. 'He's just a kid,' he thinks to himself as his stomach takes a sickening dip. Just a kid and it's more than obvious that Wally's been through more than any kid should ever have to go through. It makes Len relieved when Wally murmurs a 'good night' and then falls asleep seconds later.

Even though he's asleep, Len says, “Good night, kid.” He hesitates for a moment. Him. Captain Cold. Criminal. Then he reaches out and runs his fingers through the kid's soft, damp ginger hair. He looks even young asleep. Freckles and baby fat on his face. Len's been through some shit in his life but this kid's been through more.

The kid doesn't even wake when Len pulls the t-shirt down on his collar. There's a disgusting array of scars and bruises all over the kid. It unnerves him. He's seen Barry recover from worse. The kid didn't seem very bothered earlier either, but here the injuries are, still healing. He doesn't want to postulate the reasons that it could take so long for the kid to heal but… Maybe he's been hurt so much recently that even food isn't able to heal everything all at once.

'And the toe?' Len's subconscious whispers to himself. Maybe it was psychological? The kid's toe was broken by a wall and not through anything violent. 'He broke his toe,' Len reminds himself with an amused thought at the scene he'd observed and how the kid had explained it.

He makes a note to ask the doctor at STAR Labs about it tomorrow. He wants the kid to be safe and healthy. 'Shit, I'm getting attached.' He tries to deny the fact that he's already attached, but it doesn't work out.

Len fixes Wally's shirt back and tucks him in. He gives the sleeping kid Speedster one last look before he turns out all the lights that had been on and heads to the bedroom. He has questions upon questions and he knows that some of the answers will make him just about kill someone, but those are for tomorrow.

He sighs as he slips into his bed, pulling up the blanket over him and turning on his side. Maybe if he got the answers and could do something about it he'd let Mick turn whoever hurt the kid to ash. 'Not if I get to them first.' He yawns, slipping into sleep thinking about the kid on his couch who is slipping into a place in his icy, thief heart faster than he's ever seen the Flash run. 'He _is_ a Speedster,' is his last thought before he closes his eyes and falls into a light, but much needed sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This isn't Beta-ed (like all of my works), so any mistakes - feel free to let me know.  
> I hope you enjoyed this chapter and are enjoying the work so far. I'm still pondering about what the dimension with Marvel with be like as well as nice Zoom.
> 
> Let me know what you thought~!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Breakfast is supposed to be a two person affair. Unfortunately, with a kid sister and a hot-headed friend, it doesn't quite remain that way.

Wally wakes up hungry, which is nothing new for a Speedster. Opening his eyes, it takes him a while to figure out where he is because he doesn't recognize the ceiling or the room. And he definitely doesn't recognize that gem peeking out from behind the back of a book on a shelf. He thinks it's a… diamond?

His brows furrow as he replays his memories from yesterday. 'Ah.' He sits up with a rush of air. 'Unc- Len's place.' He sits up with a rush of air as his eyes take in everything he hadn't last night. The kitchen connects with the living room. Wally can see it from his place on the couch if he peeks over the back. It's a nice kitchen for a safe house. 'It must be one of his favorites,' he thinks to himself.

Before he can ponder more on how he's staying at a safe house with Other Uncle Len, his stomach gives a loud growl. It's practically saying 'feed me or I'll eat you', which isn't that far off actually. Lack of nutrients readily available leads to the breakdown of muscles, fat, and eventually other tissue. The human body literally eats itself to stay alive.

For a Speedster the process of starvation, which would normally take a while for normal people, is sped up. It's a painful feeling. Betrayal from your own body. To Wally it makes him feel helpless sometimes. Bad guys – he can fight. His own body? Not so much.

His stomach growls again and he's on his feet in front of the door to Len's room in a blink. It's cracked open, he suspects so that Len can hear him better in case anything happened.

Wally pushes the door open, cautiously and pops his head in. He can't help but crack a smile as he sees Leonard Snart aka Captain Cold, criminal, thief, laying on his bed with the sheets hanging off and his shirt riding up his back. He opens his mouth before closing it promptly and taking a few extra seconds to look at this dimension's Len and think of his own Uncle Len fondly.

Thinking of his Uncle Len makes his stomach turn and not in hunger. There's a wave of homesickness that he's been fighting off since the first day he woke up in the first dimension. He wants to go home.

He gives himself a good shake, pushing back those feelings of sorrow, want, and hopelessness. Feeling that way won't help him any.

Len looks so comfortable in his bed as he sleeps. A lot less like the criminal the world saw and a lot more like the uncle that Wally often saw him as. He shuffled into the room silently and stood at the edge of his bed, fingering the t-shirt that was way too giant for him and smelled faintly of smoke. He wasn't sure he wanted to wake him up.

His stomach gave another, less patient growl.

“I swear, if you're just going to stand there, starving yourself and not even bother to wake me up the minute you get hungry, we're going to have some issues, kid,” Len's groggy voice says, startling him into a yelp.

“Shit!” Wally curses, fumbling and almost tripping on the hem of one of the legs of the sweatpants which had sunk lower on him in his sleep. “Damn it, Uncle Len! You just can't scare a guy like that,” he chides, blushing at being caught off guard.

Len rolls over to face Wally, a hand rubbing the sleep from his eyes before he sat up. “Pretty sure I just did.”

Wally rolls his eyes at the quip but it's marred by a small smirk that plays on his lips. This Len was a bit younger than he one he knew, but there was a familiar darkness that Wally could see sometimes on his face.

Another growl had Len glaring at the kid's stomach. It was unbelievably annoying. Not to him, although the noise was a bit unpleasant, but he had seen the kid eat a shit ton of food the night before and the morning after the kid's stomach sounded like he was starving. He wondered if Barry had these troubles too.

“Get yourself a snack, kid. The kitchen's fully stocked,” Len tells him as he stretches his arms over his head and yawns a little. “I'll be in in a second to cook breakfast after I change.”

It was telling how the kid's eyes lit up with happiness. Apparently it wasn't anything new to have Captain Cold cook him breakfast. He blinked and the kid was gone. He could hear the coffee machine being turned on and the clink of mugs being taken from the cupboard.

Len shook his head with a small smile on his lips as he changed clothes. This was going to be an interesting day.

He slid out into the living room to see Wally looking through the cupboards, a poptart hanging in his mouth as he absently searched. “Fry pan is on the left,” Len told Wally, who simply gave him the thumbs up and went right to it.

Len chuckled and stepped into the bathroom to brush his teeth. The smell of coffee permeated the house and Len's own stomach gave a growl. 'So far, so good,' he told himself as he wiped his mouth clean.

At least, that's what he was thinking until he heard a glass shatter on the kitchen titles. Len threw the towel down and raced out of the bathroom.

“Who the fuck are you!?” A familiar, gruff voice growled.

The sight before him is a lot less comical than he would've liked. Wally's back is pressed against the fridge and Mick and Lisa are practically towering over his smaller form. Mick's eyes glare daggers at the kid and Lisa frowns suspiciously.

“Mick, back the fuck off!” Len snaps at Mick. He barely registers the disbelief on their eyes as his gaze lands on the trembling kid. 'Shit,' he curses to himself. The kid looks wide-eyed and scared, but not overly panicked. It's his body that's practically vibrating and it looks like it's taking all his willpower not to just run out of there like a bat outta Hell.

Mick and Lisa back away from their place as Len pushes passed them and kneels over a little so that he's eye level with Wally. “Kid? Kid, you're safe,” he tells him, speaking in a soft tone that makes Mick and Lisa's eyes widen. “You're safe. They won't hurt you. No one is going to hurt you,” he repeats.

Wally nods, slowly as he processes the words. He knew that his Mick wouldn't hurt him, but he's not sure about this one. He's not sure about the woman who looks a bit like Len either. He chooses to believe this Len, who's been so kind to him so far.

“Wally, can I touch you?” Len asks gently. The kid looked so tense he was afraid he'd snap like a rubber band and fly off to some place Len couldn't follow. He couldn't help but feel relieved when Wally nodded again, giving him permission.

Len reached out and rested one of his hands on Wally's shoulder and the other on one of his cheeks, thumb rubbing soothing circles there. “So, what do you like to eat for breakfast?”

The question catches Wally off guard, making his brows furrow. “Um… fried eggs?”

Len nodded, “And?” He keeps his voice low so as not to startle him any further. Honestly, he looked a bit like a rabbit. He tried not to think about how amusing and accurate it would be to picture the three Rogues as wolves.

Wally was looking a lot less like a frightened animal and more like the curious, hungry kid he was as he thought about what kind of foods he wanted for breakfast. “Blueberry pancakes? And maybe crepes too?”

Len nodded slowly, thinking about all the ingredients. It wasn't impossible. He had everything. Somehow he felt like he might need more though.

“Could you eat muffins and bagels?” Len looked at Lisa who was holding up plastic bags of groceries.

Wally nodded slowly. “Then fried eggs, blueberry pancakes, crepes, muffins and bagels,” Len said decidedly. He eyed the broken mug on the floor, noting Wally's guilty look. “It's fine, kid. Think you could clean it up while I start on the food?” Wally nodded and went to fetch the broom when Len told him where it was.

Lisa quirked a curious eyebrow while Mick was just staring. “And who's the cute kid?” Len rolled his eyes. “Just a kid.”

“Uh-huh~” Lisa more than obviously didn't believe him.

Mick pulled out a few more mugs and filled them with coffee from the pitcher. “Ya seriously makin' all that?”

Len sighed as he cracked eggs in the fry pan. “He's hungry and he's a growing kid,” he replied, although he knew it was more than that. Lisa seemed to think so too, but she didn't say anything as she started to make blueberry pancake batter and proceeded to cook them. Len made crepes in the meantime, subtly eying the way Wally sat, bunched on the couch keeping his distance from Mick.

Wally sipped his coffee slowly. He had added a ton of sugar and cream to doctor it to his tastes. He side eyed Mick every couple of moments, observing. This Mick was a bit more… rugged than the one he knew. Then again, he'd met several. It shouldn't have been surprising how gruff he looked, but somehow it was.

Wally frowned when he tilted his mug to take a sip only to find he'd drank it all. “Need more, kid?” He looked up to see Mick stand. Wally inclined his head slightly. It was all that was needed apparently as Mick reached out and took the mug to refill it. When he'd returned the mug with a fresh cup of coffee, Wally gave him a smile. It was just how he'd fixed it too.

“Breakfast is ready,” Len told them, setting a mixture of foods on platters on the coffee table in front of the couch. He smacked Lisa's hand when she reached for one of those bagels. “Uh-uh. Ours are in the kitchen still.”

Lisa frowned because it was a lot of food. It might've even been as tall as the kid. “Seriously?” She asked, tapping her foot on the floor tersely.

Len raised an eyebrow and replied without any trace of humor. “Seriously.” He went back to the kitchen without looking at Lisa and Mick who exchanged a look before they followed him. They loaded their plates with whatever they liked before returning to the living room.

Mick and Lisa froze, stunned by the amount of now empty plates on the table. There was only one full plate left and it was in the kid's hands as he ate a fried egg. Len merely raised an eyebrow as he sat on the couch beside Wally. “I hope you chewed.”

Wally looked at him, mouth full of egg with little bits of egg on his chin. It was a look that Len knew well. It said: 'of course I did (not)'. He shook his head at the sight and brushed the egg bits from his chin onto his plate. “Cute, kid.” It was even cuter when the kid turned red.

“Awe~” Lisa cooed at the sight. “You're both so adorable.”

Wally ducked his head in embarrassment while Len shot her a glare. Mick snorted. “Yeah, real cute.” Len sent him a glare too.

“Just eat,” Len huffed as he started to eat his breakfast. He might've slid a bagel onto Wally's emptying plate, but it could hardly be proven.

When all the empty dishes were piled in the kitchen to be washed later, Len threw Wally's clothes into the washer. He was certain the kid didn't want to walk around looking like his clothes were trying to swallow him. Len wouldn't have wanted to either.

Unfortunately, that was the time that Lisa and Mick cornered him in his room as he threw his bed together.

Len sighed as he pulled his blankets up, smoothing them over. “Yes?”

Mick and Lisa stood behind him at the bedroom door. “So, who's the kid?”

Len peeked back, catching a glimpse of Wally watching TV in the living room. “He's just a kid.”

Lisa scoffed. “We both know you wouldn't take in any random kid.” She looked at him with wide eyes. “You haven't taken him in yet, have you?”

Len raised an eyebrow and scowled slightly. “No, I haven't and I won't. He's not mine.”

Mick snorted. “Yeah, we know that. Kid looks like cotton candy. Too soft to be your kid.”

There was a small clench of his heart that made his chest ache. Surely he didn't want the kid to be his, did he? He was hardly parental figure material. Not to mention the fact that he was a known criminal and former murderer.

Lisa's eyes narrowed. Something must've shown on his face because she stated, “You like him.”

Rolling his shoulders, Len shrugged and pretended to fluff his pillow. Mick's eyes flicked from the living room behind him to Len's back. “Oh, you _do_.”

“So, what's his name?” Lisa asked, leaning on the doorway.

Len turned to face Mick and Lisa, eyebrows furrowing. “What?”

Lisa rolled her eyes in exasperation. “His name, Lenny. What's the cute kid's name?”

'Cute kid'? He tried not to grin. Kid wasn't going to like that. “Wally,” he replied. “The kid's name is Wally.”

“Family?” Mick asked, hand flicking in a motion Len recognized by now, miming holding a lighter in his hand.

A few possible answers popped into his head before he settled on one. “Kid's got distant family, but none here. He's on his own.” To further cement the story. “He's staying with a family friend for a while here in Central.”

Mick nodded, believing it, but Lisa's eyes were still hinting at suspicion. She didn't say anything further though, instead asking, “So what are we doing with the kid?”

Mouth twitching, threatening to outright grin, Len replied, “Clothes. Kid needs some more clothes today so I told him we'd go shopping. He's hasn't got much.” In honesty, he only had the clothes on his back, but Len wasn't going to tell them that. It would've implied a few things that didn't add up to the story he was selling.

Lisa looked over her shoulder at the kid, a small frown on her face but with eyes that tended to search. It made Len a bit nervous.

The washer buzzed, signaling the end of the cycle and Len squeezed out between them and threw the clothes into the dryer. He was ever so grateful that he'd gotten the washer-dryer set for this safe house. They didn't all have them, but he kind of liked this one. It was his. Though, Mick and Lisa often ended up raiding it.

He stepped back into the living room, eyes immediately spotting Lisa sitting beside Wally, an arm thrown around him and hugging him against her side as they watched TV. Kid looked so nervous that Len was afraid he'd have to throw Lisa and Mick out.

Mick saw him and shook his head minutely. For whatever reason Mick didn't want him to interfere. Len snorted. As if he'd let them stay if it bothered the kid so much.

Still.. When Lisa leaned in closer and murmured something in Wally's ear, the kid lit up and laughed. She pointed to something on the TV and murmured something else causing Wally to laugh more and nod in agreement.

It was hard to miss the way he relaxed when he saw how Wally unwound in Lisa's arms. Ever since they'd arrived, the kid had curled in on himself and stayed as far away as possible from them. Mick added something in and Wally sent him a smile.

Huh. It looks like Lisa and Mick had become quite taken with the kid in the few minutes that he'd been gone. He quirked an eyebrow in amusement. 'Racing into people's hearts, eh kid?'

Mick ended up sitting beside Wally, taking Len's spot which made him growl slightly. Wally didn't seem to mind. The clothes were still drying and breakfast had only been about an hour earlier. But an hour was all it would take and Len was determined to get out and go shopping, which was exhausting in its own right.

Len made his way into the kitchen and cut up a few apples into slices and scooped peanut butter, honey, and some cinnamon into a bowl. He brought the treats into the living room, setting them on the coffee table in front of Wally, smiling at the kid who mouthed 'thank you'. It was obvious how to see the confused eyes.

Mick and Lisa looked at Wally who began to eat the snack with vigor. It was clear that they were shocked at the bottomless pit Wally appeared to be, but any questions they wanted to ask died in their throats when Wally looked at them with chipmunk stuffed cheeks. Even Len admitted it was an adorable look for the kid.

A loud beep echoed through the room above the sounds of the TV. “And that would be the clothes,” Len said as he walked back to the dryer and pulled out the warm, clean clothes.

He didn't fold them and merely held them in a bunch in his arm as he walked back into the living room. “Kid,” he called as Wally looked at him, “clothes!” Wally smiled brightly at him and Len could tell he was just about to flash over to him. 'Ahh, kid,' Len started to warn, but it died in his throat before he could get a word out when Wally's sweatpants leg covered one of his feet and made him fall forward.

Len started towards him instantly, but Mick beat him to it, catching the kid with an arm and pulling him onto Mick's lap before he could fall any further. “Guess you do need new clothes, huh kid?” Mick asked, a look of amusement on his face as a flush coated the kid's cheeks.

Lisa reached out and ran her fingers through Wally's hair, letting out a breath of relief. Len breathed out, relieved too at Mick's quick reflexes.

Len walked over to Wally and helped him out of Mick's lap, carefully. It seemed like he was a sucker for clumsy Speedsters. “Here you go, kid. Go get changed and we can head out,” Len told him, watching as Wally hid his face in his clothes and power walked out of the room and into his room.

It was silent in the living room as Wally shut the door behind him. “Lenny, please tell me we're keeping him,” Lisa demanded, looking at him with wide, wet eyes that Len knew- he _knew –_ were a farce, but his kid sister always seemed to know just which buttons to push.

Could they keep him? Len wasn't sure. It was fairly obvious that the kid had been through a lot. 'Crossing dimensions,' Len's lips twitched. It sounded like a bad sci-fi novel, but he knew the kid would be as terrible as their own Scarlet Speedster if he'd been trying to lie to them. No, everything the kid had said and would say would most likely be the truth.

Remembering the signs he'd observed, the discomfort, the fear, made him want to growl and take his gun and ice whoever had hurt the kid. Whatever Wally'd been through was traumatic because Len could see it on him. The way he walked, the way he shook, the need to be near an entrance… If Wally didn't want to leave them, fuck everyone else, because he'd let him stay with them and he'd ice anyone who dared to touch him.

“I'm ready Uncle Len,” Wally sung, stepping from his room, eyes lit up with happiness. The kid was practically radiating excitement. Len forced himself to smirk as he normally would. “Let's go find you some clothes that don't look like they're drowning you, yeah?”

Wally scowled at him without any real heat, looking more like a puppy than anything. Lisa took his hand and Mick followed them as Len led them out of the safe house and into a car they used for getting around. 'Shopping it is then,' Len thought in the passenger seat as Mick drove into the shopping district.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is really turning out longer than I'd expected it to. I'm not even sure I know how to end this quite yet. I hope I can ended it in the next three chapters or so, but who knows. I'm enjoying Wally in this dimension.
> 
> I have to add that I've sadly become less active in my updates, but hopefully I'll be able to get back into the swing of things. My family's going through some things that are putting a damper on the joy I take in writing, but I'm going to do my best.
> 
> I hope you've enjoyed this chapter. Let me know if there's a particular scene you'd like to see and I'll see if it leads anywhere in the next chapter or so. How do you think shopping with the Rogues will go anyways?


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wally spends the day with Len and the Rogues until it's time to meet Barry at STAR.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: there will be mentions of food (I got hungry writing it)

Wally can't help but hum with happiness as he snacks on a soft pretzel from the food court of Central City's mall. He might have given Len the puppy eyes until he bought it for him and Len had been hard pressed to say no, at least until Lisa stepped in. Lisa gave Len that _look_ that he could scarcely refuse and Len's desire to refuse had gone up in smoke, which was why Lisa was walking right beside Wally with her own soft pretzel.

Mick and Len had been left with the bags. Mick grumbled about 'doing the heavy lift' when Len eased another one of the bags he was carrying into Mick's grasp. Hey, he wasn't supposed to be a pack mule.

“Uncle Len, can we get some lunch soon?” Wally did not whine. Much. Lisa though, she definitely had no qualms about whining. “Yes, Lenny, I'm hungry too~”

Len scowled at the two. Honestly, he understood Wally, being a child, not to mention a Speedster, but his sister? Really? It was like when they were kids all over again. Somehow being around Wally made her act more childlike and free. Not that she wasn't normally demanding. This time just seemed.. different. Len kind of liked it.

“C'mon, feed the kids, Len,” Mick gruffly huffs from behind him. “They look like they're going to rob a restaurant if you don't feed them soon enough.”

Len looks at Mick with a raised eyebrow as he hears a stomach growl. “And that has nothing to do with the fact that your stomach just growled, does it?”

Mick scowls, slightly pink in the face with a light sheen of sweat on his forehead from Len pressing bags into his hands to carry. “Ah, shut it.”

Len chuckled at his friend before he looked at the pitiful looking Wally and Lisa. “Fine,” he admitted. “What should we eat?”

Wally couldn't help the way his eyes lit up and he high-fived Lisa. “Yes!”

“Success,” Lisa grinned. “What sounds yummy, Wally?”

Wally's brows furrowed and he frowned as he thought. It was one of the most adorable looks on the most adorable child Lisa thought.

Wally tried to remember eating. Pizza, yes, he loved it. Burgers and fries – also loved them. Tacos? Duh. But yet… He really just wants something homecooked… Something nice that isn't insanely cheap and doesn't make him feel like a convict on the run.

He looks up at Len, nervously as he bites his lower lip, fingers curling into the seam of his shirt. Len frowns, passing the remaining bags in his hands to Lisa and kneels down in front of Wally to be more eye level. “What's wrong kid?”

Len watched Wally take a deep breath before saying, “I eat a lot.”

He nodded, “I know.”

Wally continued, “I don't want it to be too expensive for you.”

Len snorted, “Nothing a few jewels can't take care of. Don't think about the price, kid. Just think about what you want to eat.”

When Wally shifted nervously, Len reached out, resting a hand on his shoulder and squeezing it gently to encourage him. Wally nibbled on his lip before he looked Len in the eye. “Japanese?”

Lisa and Mick who'd watched on with a mix of confusion and sympathy for Wally, hid their questions and concern for him. Lisa tapped on Wally's free shoulder and grinned at him. “That's an excellent idea. I could really go for some tamagoyaki.”

Len smiled his agreement. “I know an excellent Kaiten-zushi place just down the road.”

Mick grumbled about eating raw fish, but he was a bit sold on the yakitori. Wally grinned as he overhead Mick's fondness for grilled meat. It was so him after all.

“Well then,” Lisa started as Len stood up, “let's take these bags to the car and go steal us some lunch.”

Wally gave Lisa a look and she laughed. “No, dear. I didn't mean actually steal it.” She ruffled his hair fondly causing him to blush. Hey, she was pretty.

Len starts walking ahead, “Are you coming?”

Wally and Lisa hurry to catch up with Len with Mick pulling up the rear, looking at the bags as if they would catch fire spontaneously. If he didn't remember the way the poor kid froze, looking at him and Lisa in fear he would've wished they would catch fire, but he remembered. It was hard to forget the look in the kid's eyes. Like seeing death. Mick didn't like that. Not one bit.

Mick heaved the bags into the back of the car and settled in the passenger side with Len driving. Lisa and Wally were chattering about which food they wanted to have and what desserts they should get. The two were fast to agree on getting them all. Lisa stated, “Life's too short to not eat all the lovely sweets you can when you're young.” Mick actually agreed with her on that.

They settled in the restaurant side by side at the table that more resembled a bar counter than an actual table because they had to sit side by side facing the conveyor belt. Wally eyed the sushi being carried to different tables while Mick and Lisa ordered their choices from the touch screen menu. “Get whatever you want, kid. However much you want,” Len added.

Wally smiled at Len before ordered several pieces of sushi. He especially loved the hamburger sushi and the kappamaki. The tamagozushi was pretty delicious too. It was a good thing that Wally was sitting at the very end against the wall with Len on his other side. At least there it wouldn't be quite as noticeable if he stacked dishes sky high.

Len didn't hesitate to scoot some of his orders down to Wally, watching the way the kid's face lit up at the prospect of more food. It made him chuckle as Lisa sat on his other side, eating delicately with Mick boxing them in.

It wasn't hard for him to see that Wally was holding back as he ate. Not just in speed, but in portion size. Len noticed the way that the kid would make one piece vanish and speed to the next only to freeze, in realization of his pace, and deliberately go slow, brows furrowed in annoyed concentration.

Even after dessert and on the way out, Len could see that it wasn't enough. He'd have to get the kid something more to eat. Maybe ice cream? He shook his head at the image of the kid with a brain freeze. 'Guess not.'

In the car on the way back to the safe-house, Len makes Mick stop by Zaxby's and Len orders more food, ignoring the incredulous looks Lisa and Mick have on their faces as he hands the bag to Wally. They may look at him like he's crazy, but the way Wally lights up makes his lips twitch in a grin.

It's not hard to see how suspicious Lisa and Mick are when they arrive back at the safe-house and Wally's just finishing polishing off the last of the French fries. Len almost wants to laugh at the way they look. At the same time, he's cautious, because he knows that if they force answers, Wally will crumble and run away. Len's got his eyes open to stop any of it before it starts.

Mick and Len haul the bags into the safe-house with Wally carrying trash from the car and Lisa, oddly empty handed. She knew how to work her way around Mick and Len. Well, she wasn't a criminal for nothing. She was also Len's half sister which is why she knew just how to get him to take her bags.

Len dug through the bags once they were inside and pulled out all the new clothes, throwing them in a hamper and then dragging the hamper to the washer. He dumped them in, pouring laundry detergent in before starting it. Better safe than sorry when buying new clothes, at least that was his opinion.

“Lenny~ Mark wants to know if we're pulling a job anytime soon,” Lisa informed him, popping her head in the laundry room.

Len raised an eyebrow. “Next week, perhaps,” he replied, thoughts returning to Wally. A second Speedster wasn't anything new, persay. There had been the yellow one after all, but he had been a villain. Deadly son of a bitch. Wally didn't seem like the villain type, so he was probably a hero. 'Kid does have a heart of gold, just like Scarlet.'

Lisa nodded and went back to the living room. Len sighed. If they pulled a heist, he's pretty sure that the kid wouldn't like it. Might even stop them despite some differences between the kid's place and this one. 'We'll see what becomes of tonight's little get together,' he reminded himself.

Wally watched as Len walked back into the living room with a frown. He looked a little stressed. Or was it confused? It was hard to read his Uncle Len's facial expressions back home. Apparently that applied to this dimension's Cold too.

“We've got..” Len looked at his watch. “Five hours, thirty-one minutes, and twenty seconds before the meet.” He looked at Wally. “What do you want to do?”

Lisa and Mick wore confused expressions while Wally thought. “Well..”

Len gestured for Wally to continue. “We have to wait for the laundry, so maybe for now.. movies? And...” he bit his lip as Len was soon learning was a nervous gesture. “Maybe if we go out, some snacks before we have to go there?”

Len snorted, 'Of course the kid wants snacks.' He was beginning to wonder how Barry Allen ever managed to hide being the Flash when he must be eating like a black hole in daily life. He cringed at his own thought. 'Black hole, bad comparison.'

Wally looked at Len with an anxious fidget, waiting for his response. When it took him a few moments to respond, Lisa chirped, “Sounds lovely, sweetie. What do you want to watch?” Mick subtly nudged Len back into reality.

'Shit,' Len thought to himself. He shook himself back to reality, seeing Mick's concerned expression. Wally and Lisa were talking animatedly about what movie/TV show they could watch while they wait for the laundry to get finished.

When Lisa opted for _Criminal Minds_ was when Len decided to step in. He wasn't going to let Wally watch something about serial killers. Jesus, who lets kids see just how dangerous the world can be like that? Len knows the world is full of shit and that's reality, but he's not giving the kid nightmares.

“No. If we're watching TV shows then we're going to at least watch something that doesn't make the world look like it's been stained with ink,” Len interrupted, sitting on Wally's other side. “How about _Big Bang Theory_?”

Wally's head inclined a little. He seemed interested in it. Perhaps not enough though.

“What about _Doctor Who?_ ” Mick asked, cracking open a beer and sitting on a recliner.

Len and Lisa gave him a weird look and he gruffly replied, offended. “What? It's funny, it's got action, and it's got mystery.”

Lisa rolled her eyes, while Len was seriously considering checking Mick's place for any season boxes of the show. It was pretty much decided when Len looked at Wally to see the kid's eyes sparkling and looking at Mick with a sort of fond awe.

Mick has the gall to send Lisa and Len a victorious look as the episode begins to play. Len promises he'll replace Mick's lighter fluid with soapy water when he gets the chance. Or maybe he'll just let Flash throw him in jail for a few days before he busts him out? It's a toss up.

Len has to get up and put the wet, clean clothes in the dryer when they're on the second episode of the sixth season. (Apparently, Mick and Wally have been keeping up and for some reason decided on starting the sixth season because 'it gets good'.) Len won't admit it but he kind of likes it. River Song is quite the character herself. The aliens that you can only see when you're looking at them kinda freak him out though. It would suck if they were real.

They make it to the fourth episode where the Doctor lands on the planet of some very creepy people, who, well, aren't really people, when Len nudges Wally. “We should start getting ready if we're going to stop and get you fed before we head to STAR Labs.”

Wally nods and makes his way to the laundry room, grabbing some clean clothes and carrying the bundle to Len's room to change.

“STAR? Why are you going there?” Lisa asks, a glint in her eye that Len knows means he'll be fending her off with a foot-long pole if he doesn't think of a proper excuse. They know that's where the Flash operates from and Len going there? It must be serious.

“Kid has family that's looking for a job there.” Len curses mentally. He would've said that he has family there, which he kind of does, but he finds himself connecting Wally and Barry as Flash as family even without knowing that they're both Speedsters.

“So.. is it with Flash and his gang or just an average job?” Mick asks.

Len's mind races to think of a job that doesn't make it sound like he's just throwing this stuff together, although he really is.

“My cousin is hoping to get a job repairing the facility,” Wally calls as he walks out in his new clothes and shoes. “I guess they're looking to get back into business or something.” He shrugs.

Len hides a smirk. 'Kid knows how to lie.' He notes the little rush of air he feels as Wally walks over to him and see the kid's hand blur slightly. It makes him wince. 'Somewhat.'

Lisa and Mick seem to accept it easily enough that they slide back and compliment the kid's clothes. Wally blushes when Lisa coos at how adorable he looks. This time Len definitely smirks. 'Kid better not get a crush on her,' he thinks.

“Can you take the rest of his things back to the main?” Len asks. “We'll meet you there after the meetings taken care of, but we might be a bit late so go ahead and eat without us.”

Lisa and Mick promise to move Wally's things to the main safe-house and Len grabs the keys to the motorcycle, because Mick and Lisa will need the car for moving to the main. He manages to strap the spare helmet to Wally's head, even if it's a little big.

They swing by a buffet and spend the rest of their free time there. Len has to cut Wally off because he doesn't want to be late. If Scarlet was notoriously late, he can't imagine a Speedster who's eating being any more on time than that.

Wally brings a doggy bag and they head to STAR Labs, zooming through the traffic as night falls fast.

Len chuckles as Wally hops off the bike, eyeing it with the same sort of disdain one does when they're forced to wait. Well, he couldn't have the kid speeding through the city on his own. It was dangerous for a kid, even a meta.

He pulls the cold gun from a special slot they'd added to the bike since they'd gotten them. Len might not be Captain Cold right now, but he didn't want anyone to think he was a pushover. If push came to shove he'd ice them.

“C'mon, kid.” They make their way into the main area of STAR Labs.

They're slightly early. No one's there yet, but Len can see Cisco walking there on the security cameras and Caitlin is in the medical area for whatever reason.

“Snart.” Len narrows his eyes as the Arrow appears from the shadows.

“Queen,” he replies, satisfied when he sees the tensing of muscles.

Arrow raises his bow, an arrow notched and aimed at Len. Len smirks at him, daring.

Before either of them escalate the situation, Wally's standing in the middle between them. “Hey! Hey! Seriously? In the middle of STAR?”

Len raises an eyebrow at the sudden appearance. “Why not?”

Wally groans. “Really? You're both like.. how old?”

“And you're what.. five?” Arrow remarks, icily. Len's eyes narrow at the vigilante.

“Not five! Seriously, Un--” Wally's lips curl in a bitter frown. “Oliver.”

Arrow glares at Wally making him flinch back minutely, but just enough that the two can recognize the discomfort he's feeling.

Len raises his gun and aims it at the archer, growling, “Back the fuck off, Queen!”

“What the shit guys!?” Cisco exclaims as he walks in, immediately looking frazzled. “Could you not fight in the middle of the Lab? Like seriously?” He frowns as he notices the look of growing fear on Wally's face and the way Wally angles himself away from Arrow.

“Right,” he states as he walks right between the archer and the criminal and grabs Wally's arm. “Let's leave these idiots and go get some snacks.” Wally looks at him, puzzled, before looking at Len who shrugs and motions for him to go ahead.

Once Wally leaves the room, Oliver and Len stand there, stock still with their weapons trained on each other. “Listen here, Queen,” Len growls, eyes narrowed and spilling an unbelievable amount of disgust for the vigilante, “try to hurt the kid and I'll ice your arm, freezing it until the blood turns into ice and your skin turns black and you have to cut it off just to survive, got it?”

Oliver scoffs, “As if you'd get even close to hitting me.”

Len's hand twitches, finger on the trigger. “For someone doing archery, you're blind when it comes to seeing what that kid's been through. I, however, am not, so if you dare to anything to make Wally uncomfortable, I will personally end you.”

Oliver looks a little conflicted. He's angry from being threatened and dangerously close to loosing an arrow, but he can't help but remember the way the kid looked at him – with fear. It was the kind of look that said that he knows exactly what Oliver is capable of if he puts his mind to it – that he knows the darkest parts of Oliver.

With a minor look of dissatisfaction, he relaxes and puts his bow and arrow away, after which Len drops his arm. “I… apologize..” Oliver spits out, disgruntled.

Len raises an eyebrow, amusement dancing in his eyes at how uncharacteristic it is for the vigilante to apologize. “It's not me you have to apologize to,” he simply responds.

“Hey guys! Sorry I'm late,” Barry says, suddenly standing in front of the two with wind swept hair. “Two things,” he says running his eyes around the room. “Where's Wally? And do we have any _food?_ ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not sure if the ending is exactly how it might've been envisioned, but I couldn't see Oliver physically hurting Wally. He's more of a jab stabber.
> 
> Anywho~ I'm liking this so far, personally. I have no idea when it will come to a close, but I'm thinking of a chapter where Oliver and Wally bond (because they were close in "Comfort Me" enough for Wally to joke about him and Oliver to be so protective). Also need some Barry-Wally one-on-one time. How does anyone think those will go?
> 
> Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Have a good week!


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wally takes time to show off his Kid Flash suit.  
> And then somehow things take a dark turn.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Wally suffers from PTSD in this chapter.]

This time it's Chinese. Wally has no complaints about how they get delivery from several different Chinese restaurants around the city. He knows that if you order too much from one place it gets suspicious.

Wally subtly eyes Oliver, wary as he piles food into his mouth. Barry quirks a brow at Wally's behavior and narrows his eyes at Oliver, who ignores Barry and doesn't even look at Wally although he can most likely tell he's being watched.

Len's hardly ignorant of Wally's caution of Queen. He doesn't blame him either, but it's dinnertime and he doesn't think any thoughts of that Star City ass should cross Wally's mind while he's trying to relax. He slides a dumpling onto Wally's plate and gets a grateful smile in return for his kind gesture.

When Barry grins at Len, he can't help but glare at the older Speedster who had the gall to look unruffled. He thinks about pulling his gun out and icing the Speedster's food. That would show him. The thought's enough to make him smirk evilly at Barry.

Barry shivers when he sees the evil smirk Cold throws his way and the grin falls off his face. There's no doubt in his mind that Cold is thinking something very underhanded. He doesn't want to know what he's thinking for once and quietly goes back to eating his food.

When they're done, they all gather in the lounge section of the facility, which they've since added because everyone seems to be there most of the time anyways (at least Cisco is). Wally lets himself fall onto the couch with a full stomach. Len sits beside him and Barry takes his other side oddly enough.

'Ice-lightning-lightning,' Wally chuckles to himself.

Len raises an eyebrow but doesn't bother asking. “Better?” he asks because he's amazed at how much the kid can pack it away. He seems to eat more than Barry. 'Maybe because he's still growing?' Ehh.. It's a thought.

“So..” Cisco begins.

Wally echoes him, “So..”

Cisco tries to give him an unamused look but it's blurred by the twitch of a smile on his lips. “Can you tell us more about your world?”

Wally blinks, thrown off. He hadn't really expected this to be one of the things he was asked. Maybe eventually, but definitely not the first. He was expecting something more along the lines of 'Why did you come here?' or 'How did you get here?' or even 'WTF happened!?'

But that's not what Cisco is asking him. He wants to know about what Wally's world is like, not about what shit did Wally go through or why he's so skittish. It makes him relax oddly enough.

“Well… I live with Uncle Barry,” he says with a small smile. The next part he says as painlessly as possible. “My parents didn't really want me.” He looks at his hands in his lap and fidgets nervously with them. “They don't really love me. I'm not normal enough for them,” he explains with a shrug.

A cool, rough hand finds its way on top of Wally's and he looks up confused to see Len staring at him hard. “Did they hurt you?” His voice is oddly soft and violent at the same time.

'Ah.' Wally recognizes, 'He is the same..'

Wally shifts his hands so that one curls around Len's and he squeezes the cold hand gently. “Not like that much.. A little, but mostly they just didn't love me.” It's strange to him when his voice cracks at the end. After all his time spent with his Uncle and Aunt, he had thought any hurt.. any care for his parents had faded, but it looked like he was wrong.

Len doesn't look as relieved as Wally thought he should be, but it's the same way his Len had looked when he found out. 'At least this Len can't freeze their pipes until they burst.' Although, to be honest, he _had_ enjoyed hearing them complain to his Aunt about their pipes ' _spontaneously_ freezing like that'.

Wally shrugs and smiles at Len. “It's okay. You – my you – messed with them.”

Len raises an eyebrow but doesn't look the least bit regretful. In fact, he actually looks a bit proud of himself, or the Other him. Anyways – proud.

“Uncle Barry's real cool though. We do experiments in the garage sometimes,” his brows furrow when he corrects, “We did, I mean.” He gave his head a shake. “Anyways, Aunt Iris makes delicious brownies and she's always there for us no matter how much we eat.”

“Oh!” Wally exclaims, eyes lighting up. “And I'm a superhero.”

Barry raises an eyebrow, while Cisco asks, “A superhero?”

Wally grins, proudly and flashes his ring. “Want to see?”

Cisco whoops with delight while the others nod. Barry seems only slightly less excited than Cisco, but it's something.

Wally slips off of the couch and reaches out towards his ring before he pauses and looks at Barry with a frown. He was not doing the whole “super-speed changing” in front of someone _with_ super-speed who's not family.

He flashes out of the room and into the hallway where he flips the ring open and grins as the suit pops out. He changes in an instant and then he's back in the room with them, standing and displaying his costume.

“Dude~” Cisco awes with wide eyes before he jumps up and begins running his hand over Wally's arm. “What kind of polymer mix is this? What's the tensile strength? Does it withstand super sonic speeds?”

Cisco pauses before he looks at Wally with a curious gaze. “Wait. No. The most important question is...”

'Is..?'

“What's your superhero name?”

Wally stared blankly at Cisco for a moment. His speed-thinking mind running in circles asking itself if Cisco really just asked what he thought he did. It took several normal heartbeats until he finally furrowed his brows and hesitantly answered. “Kid Flash.”

Whatever the reason, Cisco beamed at Wally with a proud look, nodding.

A look at Len proved that he had no idea what had brought about this sudden “joy” in the scientist. A look at Barry and Caitlin led him to believe they knew what the sudden change was about as they were looking fonding aggravated. Oliver didn't look much of anything.

Cisco raises a hand and exclaims, “High-five!” Wally gives him what he asks for, still a bit lost as to what's actually going on. Luckily, Cisco explains it, “Awesome name! Totally worthy. Couldn't do better myself.”

Wally raises an eyebrow and looks at Barry, who smiles at him sympathetically. “It's his thing. Naming metas and bad guys.” Well, Wally's never heard of someone who has an addiction (?) to nicknaming, but whatever.

“So!” Cisco interrupts Barry. “Who made it? Did you make it? How was it made?”

Wally answered, fidgeting, “Well, I didn't make it. I'm not sure how it was made. And...” his voice lowers, “Nice Zoom made it.”

There's some confusion that settles over the room. It takes some a while, but Len and Oliver get it first. “I thought you said Zoom was the Reverse-Flash to your 'Kid Flash'?” Oliver points out, his odd sense of _pushpushpush_ to find answers making Wally's senses prickle.

Wally shakes his head in response. “The Zoom in my dimension. There are actual dimensions where Zoom isn't all 'Rawr! Break your bones~ Make you bleed~!'” Wally even makes the voice sound a little threatening. At least, it is to him, but the way Caitlin looks like she wants to hug him makes him feel a bit uneasy as to how he managed.

“I came across this one dimension where Zoom was actually one of the good guys. Was just running and smacked right into him.”

Wally tilts his head. “Literally.” Barry snorts, amused and Len just shakes his head with a smile. Cisco grins, “Is it like yesterday with the wall?”

Looking indignant, Wally protests, “No! I mean.. Maybe?” Cisco chuckles and Wally can't help but smile a little. “He bought me ice cream.” Barry feigned a shocked gasp and covered his heart with his hand. “ICE CREAM?”

Wally smirked. “Rainbow ice cream.” Laughing, he continued, “I was so freaked out for like five minutes and all the while Nice Zoom is picking me up, looking me over, asking me if I'm okay and I'm just staring at him like an idiot.”

“He thought he gave me a concussion for a second there.” Wally rubs the back of his cowl covered head. “Well, he almost did, but I was just way too freaked out to even react for a while.”

Wally stilled, removing his cowl and staring up at the ceiling. “He almost killed me once.”

“Zoom?” Barry questioned, a look of sympathy on his face.

When Wally didn't answer, Len stood up in front of him and leaned in to match Wally's height. “Kid?”

“So many people have tried to kill me...” Wally spoke, eyes glazed over. His hand began to tremble and vibrate, but he didn't seem to take any notice. “Why did you do it.. Uncle Ollie.. Uncle B… Bats… I didn't do anything wrong..”

Everyone sat up, alert, eyes widening with horror. “Wally!”

Wally's eyes rolled back into his head and he collapsed into Len's arms. “Shit!” Len curled his arms around Wally and held him close, shaking him, but having no affect. “Kid!?”

Caitlin jumped up fast. “Lay him on the floor,” she demanded, digging out a pen flashlight as Len laid Wally on his back. She opened his eyes, one at a time, shining the light into them.

Wally flinched away, whimpering in pain and fear. “He's having an episode,” Caitlin said.

Full of past visions, Wally lashed out in defense. “Don't hurt me.. I'm sorry… I'm sorry..” Oliver reached out and grabbed Wally's arms before he struck anyone and held them tightly. His face was twisted in agony and regret. “Ssshh… Wally,” he murmured softly. “It's Uncle Ollie.. You're okay now. No one's going to hurt you.”

Wally whined, trying to cover his eyes, hide his face, but Oliver held firm. “Wally? Wally, it's Barry.. We're here for you. Uncle Len is too,” he added exchanging a look with Cold. “You're safe here. We won't let anyone hurt you anymore.”

Len looked on with sad eyes, feeling a low frozen burning in his stomach. There was a murderous desire that boiled deep inside him, threatening to overflow. He could only watch as Wally trembled and shook, breathing heavily and unable to calm down.

When Wally had calmed down, Caitlin insisted on giving him a medical check to which Wally, reluctantly, relented. It seemed he wasn't as trustworthy of medical instruments, but he didn't fight it.

“Well,” Caitlin concluded, “everything checks out. You just had a really bad episode..” Her eyes flashed with sympathy. Wally just shrugged it off. “It happens.”

“But..” Wally continued, “it hasn't happened often. Professor Xavier taught me how to deal with them. I'll be alright. I just need to take some time to calm down.”

Oliver nodded slowly, hesitantly speaking up, “A meditation of sorts perhaps?”

Wally looked at him, surprised, “Yes.”

“I do them too when I feel off balance sometimes,” Oliver admitted, face looking a lot more human, less hard and not as sharp. “Perhaps.. if you'd like, we could do them together?”

Len raised an eyebrow, 'Didn't expect that.' He shrugged. 'I suppose being stuck on a deserted island and then with the assassins' Yes, Len had heard about that, 'would give him some bad memories. PTSD.'

Wally nodded slowly, “Okay.” He gave Oliver a small smile, pleased when Oliver returned it.

Barry watched the interaction between Oliver and Wally with a tug of envy in his gut. He was happy for Wally. Watching him collapse and panic and scream, _beg_ it was something that he couldn't bare to see again. He had never felt so much anger, even towards Eobard. Barry wanted to race right over to his Other self and beat him until he was barely breathing.

“Maybe Barry could join,” Cisco chirped, jokingly.

Len gave him a 'seriously?' look and Oliver and Wally exchanged glances. “I don't think Barry can sit still long enough to meditate,” Oliver stated.

“What?” Barry looked overly affronted, lower lip jutting out in a pout. “I could do it.”

Caitlin gave Barry a look and he huffed, crossing his arms. “Okay, maybe I'd just fall asleep.. But isn't that what you're supposed to do when you meditate?”

Wally and Oliver laughed, Len shaking his head as Caitlin and Cisco smiled at Barry. He gave up.

“Maybe we could teach him just a little? We'll just have to be.. extremely patient,” Wally grinned at Barry.

Oliver shrugged. “I suppose we could attempt the impossible,” he joked.

Wally looked a bit better. The color was returning to his cheeks and he wasn't as shaky looking as before. He still looked very weak, but the light was back in his eyes and they were happy that he was seeing them as they were instead of who he had mistaken them as.

Wally's stomach growled. “I might be a little bit hungry,” he said, blushing.

Another stomach growled and everyone looked at Barry who's cheeks reddened significantly. “What?”

It had gotten late with all the talking and with Wally's episode, but they just shook their heads fondly. “Our resident bottomless pits.”

They ordered more pizza, except this time there was only enough for Wally and Barry. The others were still full from eating Chinese. Wally made sure to change back into his clothes so that he didn't get his suit dirty. “It doesn't matter if it's self cleaning, which is awesome by the way,” Cisco said, “it's a matter of principle.” Barry had simply gestured for Wally to go along with it, so he did.

Len ruffled Wally's hair, smirking when Wally batted, pointlessly at his hand. “Ready to go back, Squirt?” Chuckling as Wally scowled in return.

Barry bit his lip nervously before he spoke up. “You don't think you want to come stay at my house?”

Len looked at Wally and Wally just seemed to curl in on himself with anxiety. “Um.. I don't know if I'm ready to meet your family. It's different from my dimension.. I mean, I'd like to meet them, but maybe not meet them and spend the night all at once? If that makes sense.”

Barry smiled, comfortingly. “It's fine, Wally. I understand.” He tilted his head before he continued, “Perhaps we can meet up at Jitters tomorrow. I do have the day off after all.”

Len shrugged when the kid looked at him and answered Barry, “Why not.”

Wally smiled up at Barry and then looked utterly horrified. “I don't have any money though,” he bit his lip. He had already been so guilty about Len paying for things for him, he wasn't sure he wanted anyone else to have to pay things for him.

Barry frowned. “You're like ten,” Cisco interrupted, “You don't have to pay for things. It's our job.”

Wally's brows furrowed and he pursed his lips. “That's..” he looked at Len with a guilty expression. “I'm not ten. I'm older than that.”

“Eleven?”

Wally shook his head. “Older.”

“Thirteen?”

“Sixteen.”

The looks of shock only made Wally fidget. “I know, I look younger. The..” he took a deep breath, “the process of running through dimensions kind of..devolves you. Especially with Speed Force energy. It gives you so much that your cells become super charged and instead of aging normally, you regress.”

Wally looked up when Len put a hand on his shoulder. “Kid, sixteen is still too young. Besides, this isn't your dimension. No one expects you to have funds for every dimension you go to. It's alright. Besides,” he smirked, “I'm sure Flash will look the other way if I have to rob a bank for a little extra spending money.”

Oliver and Barry narrowed their eyes at Len. He rolled his eyes in return. “I'm only kidding. I have plenty of money. Barry wasn't always the Flash, so I've managed to save up quite a bit of money.”

Barry shrugged with a small smile on his lips that made Oliver scowl. “Well, Flash can't do anything about it now.”

Oliver sighed in annoyance and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Whatever. The point is, Wally, that you aren't alone. Not in this dimension. Barry owns STAR Labs and I own Queens Consolidated. We have plenty of money to help support your without it being a financial strain.”

“But-” Wally went to protest until a look for Oliver had him closing his mouth.

Oliver smiled a him, the mask of his vigilante self slipping away. “Wally, I know I came off as strong and suspicious. I won't apologize for being cautious, but I would like to get to know you. Maybe even become friends with you. We don't care about your age, where you come from, or anything else. All we need to know is that you're willing to try with us and be patient.” He chuckled. “We're not the best pictures of emotional stability.”

Len inclined his head. 'Point.' Even Barry agreed with a nod.

Wally nibbled on his lip until he nodded when Oliver asked, “Do you think we can try?” He didn't flinch when Oliver reached out and ruffled his hair, managing to smile at him instead. He even wrapped his arms around Oliver's firm form and murmur, “Thank you.”

Oliver smiled. “Not a problem.”

Len was getting a bit nauseous from all the fuzzy feelings, at least that's how he presented himself. “Ready to go Wally? We need to get you in bed.”

Wally nodded at Len, smiling bigger than he had before. They all bid each other a goodnight, Oliver promising to meet Wally the following day sometime and meditating together with him. Wally felt a lot better going back with Len to his safe house that night, except this time Len let Wally sleep in his bed with him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... I feel terrible about what's happened to Wally in this.  
> I'm not sure how I feel about this chapter, either because I don't feel like it's written up to standards or because I practically tortured Wally. I'm not sure.
> 
> Please let me know how you liked it. I meant to update sooner, but I haven't been feeling well. Hopefully I can be faster about updates, but I suppose it all depends on my health and how much of an idea I have for the next chapter.  
> Thanks!


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's another day in Central and today's the day Wally and Oliver are going to get some meditation in.

Len's not sure how it happened really. He knows he invited the kid to sleep in his bed with him, stating “The couch isn't that comfortable. My bed is. C'mon,” but still… He hadn't expected to wake up with the kind curled up against his side and _his_ arm wrapped tightly around his small form.

“Awe~” Lisa's voice makes his eyes snap to the doorway. “So cuteeee,” she cooes and Len can't deny his desire to take away her gold gun for that.

He glares at her from his bed and grumbles something that he thinks comes out as, “What are you doing here?” But it could've also come out as “Fuck off.” It was a toss up.

Whatever he said, Lisa smiles at him and salters over to the bed, uncharacteristically being careful as she removed Len's arm. She did, however, fling his own arm at him like it were a simple throw pillow before she gently slipped her arms under Wally and pull him into her chest. “He's so cute,” she smiled at the sleeping child in her arms.

With a huff, Len pulled the blankets all the way off and sat up, disgruntled. “You're cute too, Lenny,” she smugly told him before carrying Wally with her out into the living room. Len rolled his eyes at his sister's antics. The smell of food permeated the safe house and Len decided it was time to get ready for the day.

9:00AM. They'd decided to meet with Queen at 11:00 at Jitters. If Barry wasn't too busy, he'd join them too. If not, well.. who said coffee was a once a day deal. Plus Len could definitely spend as much of his own damn money on gourmet coffee as he wanted to. So.. there'd be a second trip to Jitters involved if Barry didn't make it and Len wouldn't complain.

Honestly, Len wasn't too sure if he liked or even _trusted_ Queen, but he was willing to give the green archer, a benefit of doubt. The speech Queen made last night may or may not have been involved in his decision making, but he wasn't about to admit it.

Finished getting dressed, he walked into the living room to see Lisa with Wally in her lap. Wally's eyes were slightly open and he was sleepily trying to bat away her face. Lisa was leaning in with a gleam in her eyes as she enjoyed the “cuteness” of Wally trying to keep her from kissing his adorable cheeks.

Len rolled his eyes at Lisa's blatant acts and walked into the kitchen. Hey, it was better Wally than himself. Not that he'd ever tell anyone how Lisa would baby him when he got sick. Mick would chuckle at him and not even blink at the death glare Len would give him, but whatever.

“She's really attached, eh?” Mick said with a glance at Len as he flipped over another pancake. He already had two stacks on the table. He even had a big bowl of scrambled eggs and bacon as well as a bowl of fresh fruit and berries. Len couldn't help but glare at hashbrowns with spinach and carrots in it.

Mick shrugged, “Kid needs some veggies.” Len could already picture himself picking out the carrots. He hated when Mick cooked them. Raw was the only way to eat carrots, unless it was stuffed in meat. Mick huffed, “And so do you. That means – _no picking out the carrots.”_

Len pretended he couldn't hear Mick as he prepped a cup of coffee for himself. Mick just rolled his eyes and went back to his cooking.

“Come on, Sweetie. It's morning,” Lisa softly told Wally. It seemed that even she was afraid of waking him up in the morning. He looked so.. young when he slept. Though, he did look young awake as well. There was just something in his eyes that made him appear so much older.

“Food's ready,” Mick declared as he set the last plate of food on the table, looking impressed with himself. If Len was to be honest, he was impressed too. There was enough food for maybe fifteen people. He's sure they were suspicious about Wally's eating habits, but so far they weren't asking. Even if they guessed he was a meta, they didn't know about him being a speedster so it worked out.

Wally sat up in Lisa's lap, chin on her shoulder as he looked over the couch and at the table. Blinking, still a bit sleepy, he squeaked out, “Food?”

And Len might admit that the kid was absolutely adorable like that. “Cute,” he heard Mick mutter under his breath. He quirked a brow, 'Guess Mick thinks so too.'

Wally squealed softly as Lisa wrapped her arms around him and picked him up. His legs wrapped around her middle and his arms, her neck to ensure he wouldn't fall. Len made sure to get a good look at her face, fond, as she walked over to the table and proceeded to set Wally down in one of the few chairs they had.

She ruthlessly stole the other chair making Len mutter about how they 'needed more chairs than just _two'._ Lisa ignored him as she piled a big platter full of a variety of food for Wally. Mick added plenty of his veggie hashbrowns and fruit to Wally's platter, obviously eyeing the kid's thin body.

Len wanted to point out that Wally's 'thin body' was just because of his hyperactive metabolism. Barry Allen could attest to that, but then he'd have to explain about the kid's abilities and blah blah blah. It just wasn't quite worth it.

Mick and Len found themselves on the couch with their food, leaving Lisa and Wally at the table. Lisa kept urging Wally to eat more. Len was grateful that it wasn't him at least. He can tell Mick wants to do the same by the way he keeps looking up at Wally and checking his plate in between bites.

Len rolls his eyes wondering when those two became so soft. Ignoring the fact that he's gotten pretty soft himself too when it comes to that kid.

There's no food left by the end of breakfast and Mick ruffles Wally's hair, a look of pride in his eyes. He did enjoy it when someone ate all of his cooking. It wasn't that he was a bad cook. He just couldn't help but make way too much. At least Wally could eat all of it.

When Wally insists on helping Mick do the dishes, Lisa settles and watches as he does the dishes with a little smile on her face. Len's going to have to remind her that 'no, we don't steal kids, no matter how adorable they are'. Maybe he'd better do it soon.

10:15AM. “Hey, kid,” Len calls as Wally puts away the dried dishes. When Wally looks over at him, Len points to the clock. “Better get ready if we want to meet 'Uncle Ollie' for coffee at 11.”

Wally looks at the clock for a moment before he looks back at Len with confusion. He could easily get ready in five minutes. 'It's still early. Why do I have to… Oh.' Len quirks an eyebrow and Wally nods to show that yeah, he does understand. It's not like he can use his super-speed with Lisa and Mick there unless he wants to blow his secret identity to bits.

“Okay Uncle Len,” Wally says as he walks into Len's bedroom, pulling open a drawer that Len had given him full of the clothes they'd bought for him. It makes him smile when he pulls out a shirt with a lightning bolt that Len had bought for him with a roll of his eyes at the irony. He takes a pair of jeans, boxers, and a pair of socks with the shirt and heads to the bathroom with his clothes.

“Remember where the towels are?” Len asks, absently as he flicks through channels on the TV, seated beside Lisa, while Mick's taken a recliner.

“Under the sink,” he replies dutifully making Len nod before he closes the door to the bathroom. Stomach full, he lets himself soak in the shower for ten minutes before he finally spends a long five minutes washing his hair and body. 'Can't forget behind the ears,' he reminds himself, smiling at how Aunt Iris would always tell him.

He let himself leisurely put his clothes on and stretched a little. He even brushed his teeth. '20 minutes,' he thought to himself as he looked at a clock in the bathroom. Why there clock, he had no clue, but it seemed so like Uncle Len that he barely batted an eye. 'Sounds about right.'

Len smirked when he saw the shirt Wally had chosen to wear and shook his head, fondly. Lisa pursed her lips with a small frown. “You didn't want to wear the shirt with the ice?” Mick snorted, “Or the one with flames?”

Wally put on a small, shy smile and shook his head. “I like the Flash. Plus look,” he gestured to the golden colored lightning bolt. “Isn't this color awesome?”

Len covered his mouth with a hand to hold back a chuckle as Lisa's face blushed with happiness. “Awe~ Yes. Gold is the best color there is,” she crooned at him.

God, she was totally going to adopt him. Len's chances at stopping her just went from possible to 'where's the miracle?'

10:38AM. They finally made it out of the house after Lisa placed several lipstick covered kisses on Wally's cheek. Len laughed freely in the car while Wally scowled and rubbed the kiss marks from his face. “You know she's probably going to steal you?”

Wally looked up at Len with a confused face. “She likes you,” Len shrugged.

Smiling, Wally replied, “I like her too. You don't have a sister in my dimension. Or maybe you did and don't talk about her much or something, but she's nice.” He eyed the tissue in his hand, red with lipstick. “She just kisses a bit much.”

Len couldn't help but laugh at Wally's expression so much that he could feel the muscles in his stomach tighten. He was probably going to have some muscle aches later, but whatever. It was worth it.

“So.. Jitters. What's good here?” Wally asked as he walked into the coffee shop with Len.

It wasn't so busy yet. It'd be busier once the lunch rush began, but for now it was manageable. “Lisa likes their scones. As for coffee.. Their Flashs are good,” Len told him with a secret grin at Wally's bemused expression over Flash having a coffee here. Either that, or the fact that Len just admitted to liking “Flash” (the coffee – although, he did kinda feel a bit fond for the actual thing).

“What do you want, kid?” Len asked Wally as they stepped up to order.

Wally eyed a chocolate croissant with a look of pure want that made Len roll his eyes and smile. “Three chocolate croissants and two iced Flashs,” Len told the lady at the cash register. She smiled and told him the total. “Go sit down. Queen should be here soon,” Len told Wally as he handed the money over to the lady and accepted the ticket with the number on it.

Choosing a table with three tall chairs, Wally managed to climb up the chair, cursing all age regression that made him seem like such a _child._ Speedsters aged faster mentally. It was truthfully a mess. “Body of like an eleven year old, brain of a thirty year old, and true age as sixteen.. Fucking shit..” he muttered as he situated himself comfortably to let his legs dangle over the side, not touch the floor.

“Cursing in public. What would Barry say?” Wally turned his head and smiled as he noticed Oliver walking over to him with a grin.

Rolling his eyes, Wally replied, “He's never been treated like a child like I have.”

Oliver raised an eyebrow, amused. “You're sixteen.”

“Ye~s, but I have the mentality of a thirty year old. I bet your Barry is just the same,” Wally informed Oliver, whose brows furrowed in confusion. “Our thought process is fast too you know. So we age faster mentally,” he explained with a shrug.

“That's a scary thought,” Len chimed in as he set a tray with the chocolate croissants with the iced Flashs down on the table.

“Queen,” Len gave Oliver a slight nod, satisfied when it was returned. Their greetings were stiff, but greetings nonetheless, so Wally counted it as a happy occasion.

While Wally started on his first croissant, Oliver went up and ordered an espresso and a bagel with cream cheese. When he was settled, he mentioned, “Barry can't make it right now. Singh is making him do some work in the lab before he can get out early.”

Len shrugged and continued to sip at his iced Flash. “He also wants to introduce you to his family,” Oliver slowly added as he spread cream cheese on his bagel.

Wally froze, chocolate on his lips and chin with wide eyes, staring at Oliver. Len's eyes narrowed at the archer. “And he thinks that's a good idea, why?”

Oliver shrugged and took a bite of his bagel, swallowing before he continued, “I think he thinks of you as family and he wants to introduce you to the rest of the family.”

'Sentimental shit,' Len rolled his eyes. Unfortunately, it seemed like Wally was starting to consider it. He nodded slowly at Oliver with a reluctant, “Oookay.. But I'm not responsible for anything, got it?” Len grinned.

“Course not, kid. Besides, you're practically family already. If Lisa gets a chance to steal you, then you _will_ be family,” Len stated with a smirk. Wally rubbed one of his cheeks, the memory of Lisa's lipstick kisses bubbling up.

Chuckling, Len continued to sip his Flash, while the archer and Wally continued to work on their food before starting on their drinks.

Phone vibrating, Len bit back an annoyed growl as he fished his burner out and opened it to see a message. 'Well.. There went that.' It was a message from Lisa telling him that Mardon was getting restless and was talking about heading out on his own. If there was one thing Len hated, it was someone who couldn't restrain themselves until the perfect moment. And not following Len's orders was another good reason.

” _Keep him there. I'm on my way.”_ Len texted back, this time letting out a sigh of annoyance. “What's up?” Wally asked, concern shining in his eyes.

Len sighed and almost reached out to ruffle Wally's hair before he stopped, aware of himself and Queen. “Just some trouble with the Rogues,” he said softly, tying his annoyance tightly back. “Think you can handle some time with Mr. Rich Kid?”

Oliver glared at Len, but he ignored it, favoring the way Wally smiled at him. “Sure Uncle Len. No worries. Just be chill.”

Len snorted. “Kid, you fit in so well,” he said. “If you need anything...” Wally nodded, “Call you. I remember your number.” Len nodded, approving, “Good.”

He leaned over closer to Oliver with his drink in his hand as he stood up, “You take care of him or I swear I'll turn your secret 'lair' into an ice cave. Got it?”

Oliver ground his teeth and nodded. “Good. See you later, kid!” Len called as he walked over to the door and vanished outside.

Swallowing his anger, Oliver looked at Wally and couldn't help but grin at the chocolate faced kid speedster.

“So…” Wally started, licking chocolate from one of his fingertips. “What's next?”

Oliver held out a napkin and motioned to Wally's face. He watched as the speedster blushed and quickly cleaned the chocolate from his face. 'Cute..' Frowning, he quickly shook his head of that thought.

“Well.. Since you've had a snack, do you want to start meditating before we get some lunch or after?” Oliver questioned, trying to think about Barry's metabolism and comparing it to Wally's.

Wally tilted his head, thinking. “Can.. can we meditate first?” Wally bit his lip. “I'm a bit nervous.” Oliver nodded, replying, “Of course. Guess you can help me find Central Park, right?”

Nodding, Wally slid out of his chair, tray in his hand and grabbing Oliver's tray and taking it over to the trash cans to clear off the trays and put them away. Oliver smiled, “Ready to go?”

Wally raised an eyebrow and smirked at him, tapping his food slightly fast. “Always.”

Oliver laughed as he got up and followed Wally out of Jitters. They made their way to Central Park in record time. Wally was walking at a fast pace, but Oliver's muscles were more than capable of keeping up because of his night job.

The kid couldn't help but smile as they stepped into Central Park and Oliver felt himself smiling as well. It was hard to keep his usual serious mood when Wally was looking so bright and the weather was so nice as well. Sadly, nice weather meant more people at the Park and Oliver didn't want anyone to overhear them or have the chance to notice the kid's unusual fast pace.

When Oliver mentioned it to Wally, Wally took his hand and led him to a spot in the thick forest of the Park through a barely recognizable path to a small clearing. It was just big enough for two or three and it was more than perfect for meditation.

Wally pulled out a small plastic square. “Uncle Len lent it to me,” he explained as he unfolded the plastic. It grew to quite a large size until Oliver realized it was a tarp. 'Good idea,' Oliver thought as he noted the slightly damp, cold ground.

Once it was spread, they sat down, crossing their legs and letting their hands rest comfortably on their shins. Wally started without Oliver, taking deep breaths and slowly relaxing his muscles. It was fascinating for Oliver to see that with each breath a small thread of lightning spiraled across his body.

When he was fully relaxed, Oliver smiled a little before letting himself fall into the same kind of meditative trance. Of course there were no lightning bolts or any signs of meta-human abilities as his body relaxed, but he had become accustomed to listening for danger despite his meditation.

In the small clearing of the thick of Central Park, where the average person didn't dare try to make their way through the closely knitted forest, Oliver and Wally sat. Both were relaxed, breathing in and out at large intervals as they let their troubles drift away. Not even the rustling of leaves could disturb them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello~ Sad to say it's been almost a month since I've updated this. All my excuses I've written with my recent update of "Marvel-verse", but I want to say once again that I'm sorry it's taken me so long to update. I hate to say it but I keep getting distracted with other fanfictions (I also read fanfictions - a lot) and my family's been having some personal problems again that have been worrying me.
> 
> Anyways, I hope you enjoy this. I hope to have Oliver and Wally spend some more time together in the next chapter. I love Len, but Oliver and Wally need some bonding too. Thanks for reading~ Comment if you can~  
> Have a good rest of the week & the weekend.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wally finally meets the Wests. How will that go?

Wally sat completely still, eyes closed in his meditative state. He had been on edge with Oliver although he hadn't shown it. That tenseness was wearing down and fading with the meditation. He could feel himself regain control of his emotions, his fear.

It was freeing to let all of his worries, his super-speed thoughts just fade away. The blankness was so tranquil and comforting. It felt like a blanket, soft and warm as it wrapped around him, enclosing him in fluffiness.

While his mind was unaware of the passage of time, the same didn't apply to his body. Despite the fact that meditation tended to slow his bodily processes, there was little it could do to stop his stomach from growling. He would've ignored it, if not for the blaring sound.. of Oliver's cell phone going off.

He heard Oliver groan as his limbs untangled and he opened up his phone and held it to his ear. “Yeah?” Oliver answered. “Fifteen minutes? - Okay, yeah. We'll see you there.”

Oliver hung up the phone feeling a tad peeved at having his mediation interrupted, but it wasn't anything new, considering. Honestly, he felt a lot better now. All of the emotions swirling and clogging up his mind were calm and steady. Meditation always helped him to gain control over himself.

“C'mon, Wally. Barry's finally gotten off work and wants to meet us at a Thai place on Second,” Oliver told Wally, who promptly peeked from an eye with a smile budding on his face.

“Sounds good,” Wally chirped, taking a breath as he moved his limbs.

Honestly? He looked better. Wally looked calmer, more at ease with himself and there were no signs of the tension that Wally had had when Len had first left Wally alone with him. Oliver had worried about it as he noticed how Wally downplayed his own adrenaline and kept himself cheery.

There was no sign of the fear that had lurked in the kid's eyes now. They looked lighter. Of course there were still little flashes of emotion, of trauma, but they seemed more infrequent and lesser. Wally even let Oliver help him up.

After the tarp was refolded and tucked safely away in one of Oliver's packs he'd come to carry with him (because it was dirty and Wally only had his pockets and some money), they found themselves walking out of the park and onto the pedestrian crowded streets. Seeing a leaf in Oliver's hair, Wally giggled and jumped on a park bench that was empty to blow it off. Oliver sent him a grateful smile.

When someone gave them the stink eye, they each looked at the person sheepishly and then hurried on their way with light hearts and secret laughter. It turns out being scolded by a passerby for standing on a park bench was actually more funny than it should've been. It was nice.

They were still stifling laughter when they entered the Thai restaurant and found Barry. Barry raised an amused eyebrow, partially confused, “Did I miss something funny?” Oliver and Wally exchanged looks and laughed, reminded instantly of the way the stranger had raised an eyebrow before glaring at them. “No,” Oliver answered, coughing slightly with reddened cheeks. “Not a thing.”

Barry looked at Wally, who gave him an innocent smile and shrugged. “I know nothing.” Barry laughed lightly, “I don't believe you, but from one speed demon to another, I'll let it slide.” He motioned them towards a table where three others awaited.

Wally paused as Barry walked towards the table. He swallowed, suddenly unsure if he was really hungry or just sick from nervousness. He thought about leaving before anyone realized it, but something – no, some _one_ at the booth diagonal of the table caught his attention. It made him smile when Len winked at him. He sent Len a grateful smile before hurrying to catch up with Oliver.

“-And this is Wally,” Barry introduced as Wally slid into a seat between Oliver and Barry. Biting his lip, Wally waved up at them nervously. “Wally, this is my adopted sister, Iris,” - that was a shocker - “her boyfriend, Detective Eddie Thawne,” - 'Thawne?' - “and my adopted dad, Detective Joe West.”

Wally was two seconds away from slinking down in his chair and crawling out from under the table with the looks he was receiving. Eddie – Thawne ('Related to Eobard,' he guessed) had this sort of clueless look about him, while Iris ('She's definitely different,' he noted) gave Wally a super sweet smile that usually meant he was either in a shit ton of trouble or he was going to be spoiled like a five year old. At least Joe's scrutinizing look was something he could deal with despite the sting.

A soft squeeze of his hand had him glancing over at Oliver who gave him an encouraging smile. Wally ordered some hot milktea when the waitress took their drink orders. And then the awkward silence set in.

“So.. How did you and Barry meet?” Iris piped up. It looked like Joe was sitting up straighter in his seat, attentive.

A small tremor made his hand shake with nerves as he responded, “Well.. I wasn't paying attention to where I was going and I.. kinda sorta ran into a wall.” He blushed as Iris laughed and Eddie smiled. It wasn't hard to tell that Barry and Oliver where chuckling at the memory. Joe's mouth quirked. Just a little.

“Un-” brows furrowing, he hurried to correct himself, “Barry helped me up and made sure I was okay.” At least, that's how he'd seen it. Even it if it was mostly him stealing a protein bar. “Later we had pizza together.”

Barry scowled, “And you stole the last slice, you Rogue.” Wally couldn't help but grin, proudly and quip, “The hand is quicker than the eye.”

And.. yeah…. That made Joe's eyes narrow at Barry and Wally. Barry obviously hadn't told them anything yet. 'And he just thought, “Hey! Let's go get lunch together with someone who's going to tell you he's a speedster, but don't worry it's cool!” or something?' Wally groaned, shifting in his seat.

“Dad,” Iris frowned at Joe, “You're making him nervous.” Joe grunted, but did nothing to ease the suspicion in his gaze.

Wally fidgeted, spying the subtle way that Len was leaning his head towards their table to better here their conversation. He might've also been carrying his Cold gun, but Wally couldn't be sure.

“Quick...” Joe repeated, slowly like there was something on the tip of his tongue.

Wally glared daggers at Barry. There was no way that he was going to put himself on the front lines alone. This was supposed to be well mediated for a first meeting. Barry frowned, sheepishly. “Wally,” Oliver murmured softly, “knows everything.”

Eyes shot from Oliver to Wally, from Wally to Barry and back again. “Yeah..” Wally sighed. “But it's okay. We're.. similar.”

“How.” Iris narrowed her eyes and glared at her dad. Why couldn't he leave the poor kid alone? He was so freakin' adorable and small looking that Iris swore if her dad hurt him, she wasn't going to make any of her special brownies for him for a month.

Barry cleared his throat, putting an arm around Wally. “Once again.. This is Wally. ..My nephew from another dimension,” he tacked on the bits he left out before. “He's a speedster too.”

Eddie choked on his hot coffee, spitting it on the table with wide eyes as Joe's brows furrowed. Iris held a hand over her mouth, shocked. Nibbling on his lip, Wally stole a glance at Len, who looked like he was trying to hold back a smirk. Wally wanted to go over there and steal a bite of his pie.

Joe opened his mouth to yell or to say something, Wally wasn't sure which, but the waitress came over asking for their orders and Joe exchanged a glance with Barry that said “We'll talk about this later.” Wally was more than happy to set aside that conversation in exchange for some delicious food. He focused on eating slow. At least, slower than Barry seemed to be. It was hard to swallow with all the searching looks he was getting, but he managed.

Wally cleaned off the rest of Oliver's rice plate when he insisted he was too full to continue. He even ordered a second dish for Wally without bothering to look at Barry, who might've looked envious. Wally ate that one with just as must steady and slow gusto.

It was a lot more easy to breathe outside the restaurant. More open air. 'More space…' Wally sighed and leaned against the building, close to an alley. “So.. You're a meta?” Wally looked up to see Joe standing in front of him. Iris and Eddie where talking and it looked like Oliver had gone into a nearby ice cream store with Barry, for obvious reasons. Like not eating the entire place out of business.

“..Yes...”

This dimension's Flash's adopted dad was starting to look really tall.. “It's not polite to loom, Detective,” a saving voice came. Wally breathed out.

As soon as Len came into view in the alley, Joe had his gun out, trained at Len. “Stop right there, Cold,” he hissed. Len just rolled his eyes, without a care in the world. “Yes, Detective. Like that's worked so well before.”

Joe narrowed his eyes and his trigger finger twitched. Before Wally could think anything of it, he was standing in front of Len, facing Joe with determination gleaming in his eyes. “Uncle Len's done thing wrong,” Wally ground out.

Behind him Len raised an eyebrow. 'Really? I've done plenty of things wrong.' He smiled to himself. 'Not that anyone can prove it anymore.'

Joe growled. “Move, kid. He's a criminal.”

Wally didn't move an inch. He didn't even twitch. “Kid..” Len started to warn, but Wally didn't pay him any attention.

“Dad.” Iris' demanding voice came, “Put it down.” Joe's gaze flickered to his daughter, face stone cold as she looked on at him. “He's a criminal,” Joe reminded her. She glared at him, “And he's a child. _Put it down.”_

Eddie was hesitant, afraid to jump in between his girlfriend and her father. Barry and Oliver, however, were not as they entered the scene. “Joe..” Barry calmly said, “Snart's not here to hurt us or commit any crimes.” Barry stole a glance at Len to make sure his words were true. Len snorted, but didn't correct him. Even though he wouldn't if he _w_ _as_ there to commit a crime.

Oliver didn't toss Joe a second look as he walked over and joined Wally. “I'm sure you enjoyed your pie,” Oliver sarcastically said.

Len smirked, “It was good pie.”

Rolling his eyes with a small twitch of his lips in a smile, Oliver replied, “I thought you were supposed to be subtle.” Len raised an eyebrow, “If I was trying to be subtle, you'd never notice.” Oliver exchanged a look with Len that practically said “I dare you.”

Barry rolled his eyes at their antics. 'Honestly, you'd think Oliver wouldn't enjoy bantering with villains,' Barry thought. 'Next time he says something about _me_ I'm totally reminding him about Snart's pie.'

“Okay, Joe. Put it away,” Barry told his adopted dad. “Snart isn't here to hurt anyone. He's here for Wally.” When Joe narrowed his eyes, Barry clarified, “He's here to make sure that Wally is happy and safe.”

Joe glanced at Wally, noticing how nervous the boy was, before he slowly holstered his gun. Iris nodded with approval and slipped around her dad and over to Wally.

“Sorry about my dad,” she told him. “He gets a little antsy when it comes to Cold.”

Wally shrugged, “I understand.” Iris smiled at him and he couldn't help but flush. It wasn't his aunt, but it was. He was having trouble figuring out where the two were different and where they connected. There were a few.. obvious parts, but other than that it they're personalities were a lot alike. 'But this Iris isn't with Barry.'

He tried to be.. subtle as he inspected Eddie more. Wally couldn't help but admit that he was grudgingly good looking. Didn't mean he liked him as much as he liked Barry though. “Pretty Boy” or not, his dimension or not, Barry was Barry.

“You're so adorable,” Iris cooed as she eyed him. Wally's eyes went big and he looked at Len. Len shrugged in return, amused. This wasn't his fault after all. Women just seemed to adore Wally's baby face and innocent expressions.

When Len was no help, Wally's eyes fled to Barry, only to find Barry shrugging himself. As Iris wrapped her arms around Wally, he could only mouth to Barry: 'Help me.' Barry just laughed and stood there. Wally made a mental note to buy Barry a box of chocolates (with no chocolates left).

“I'm not sure I understand why Snart cares for this.. Speedster boy,” he overheard Joe say.

Len snorts, glaring at Joe for a moment before he speaks up, “Because this.. 'Speedster boy', as you put it, is quite frankly an okay kid and I may be a criminal and a thief, but I don't hurt women and kids.”

“..Plus Lisa and Mick have become..overly attached,” he tacks on, admitting.

Iris smiles and pulls Wally into a hug. “Who wouldn't become attached to such a cute boy?” Barry raises an eyebrow, grinning at Wally and his red cheeks. Oliver and Len can't help but chuckle under their breath.

Wally squirms in Iris' hug, unsure of how to act. She's not his Iris, but she kind of is, so.. does he hug her back..? Or something? 'Um…' When she releases him, his first instinct is to hide behind Len and peek around him, cheeks scarlet with embarrassment.

Oliver reaches over that ruffles Wally's ginger hair, smiling fondly. He has to admit, he likes the kid. He might've been tough on him before but after meditating together, spending that time.. He can see why the thief has come to look after him.

“Why didn't you bring him home to stay with us?” Iris asks, looking at Barry with curiosity. Barry shuffles, kicking a rock on the sidewalk for a moment before he meekly replies, “I don't think he was quite ready to face your wra- I mean, to meet you guys.” He'd had to revise his answer before he said 'her wrath', but he'd done it. Maybe she wouldn't notice?

Joe snorted when Iris narrowed her eyes at Barry. Gulping, Barry continued, “Anyways, Wally's from another dimension and he's been through a lot. There are some people – things, that he's not so comfortable with right now. Snart seemed to be the best option for him to stay with.”

Taking his time to send a smug smile at Len, Barry tacks on, “Plus where Wally's from, he calls Snart 'Uncle Len'.” Iris melts when Wally hides his face against Len's jacket.

“Well.. whenever Wally wants to he can come stay with us. Can't he, Dad?” Iris raises an eyebrow at Joe with a cold glare that dares him to say 'no.' With no desire to die early, Joe quickly agrees, not daring to threaten Snart to make sure he didn't tag along with the kid. Something tells him that Iris wouldn't forgive him if he made Wally feel uncomfortable by taking the criminal away from him.

Wally clears his throat and steps out from behind Len with a small smile for Iris. “Thank you.” He hesitates before he continues, “but I think I might stay with Uncle Len.. I like staying with him.” When Iris' face falls, he hastily says, “Maybe I could stay one night sometime though? I'm going to be here for a few more days before I get under way.”

Iris beams at him and suddenly Wally feels like it doesn't matter if she's with Other Barry or not, or any other differences, Iris was Iris. “Sounds great, Cupcake.”

Barry laughs at her pet name for Wally and he can't help but flash over to Barry and elbowing him in the side. “Ow!” Barry whines, although he doesn't stop laughing. If anything, he laughs harder at the embarrassment clear on Wally's face. “Need some icing on top?” he jokes.

Wally groans, “Oh my god, Uncle B. That was pathetic.”

“It was,” Len agrees, Oliver nodding beside him. Even Eddie and Joe at giving him pitying, judgmental looks over his attempt at humor. Iris gives poor Barry a pat on the head, despite his indignant look. “It's okay, Bear. You'll get there one day.”

Barry huffs and rolls his eyes, crossing his arms over his chest.

Wally can't help but laugh at the imagine of his uncle looking like a puppy, being patted on his head. The laugh turns into an awkward cough when Joe looks at him and he can't help but avert his gaze. It's hard for him to imagine that he could've been related to someone like Joe in his dimension. He'd never gotten to meet his dad's parents after all. It was.. a new experience to meet his grandpa (even though they wouldn't have been the same).

They talked a little bit more before Barry piped up. “Anyone want ice cream?” Wally's hand shot in the air. Everyone laughed and agreed to it, even Len. It probably wasn't extremely wise to get ice cream with two detectives, but Len had faith in Wally. If anything happened, he was pretty sure Wally and Barry, maybe even Queen would stand on his side. Iris certainly took whatever side Wally was on. 'Like another Lisa,' he shuddered internally.

Wally and Barry had started a vivid conversation about speed, keeping their voices low enough so that only the group could hear it. “So.. you ran face first in a wall when you tried your first sharp turn?” Wally nodded, grimacing at the memory. Barry grimaced with him, “Not fun.”

Wally was about to reply that he'd actually almost gotten stuck in a brick wall when he'd tried vibrating one of his first times, but the memory of his knee bubbled up. And when pain tore through his knee at the memory, he stumbled forward. Before he'd even gotten close to hitting the ground, Barry's arms were around him. He hadn't even seen Barry move, but then again he'd been focused on the ghost pain radiating from his knee.

“Are you okay?” Barry asked, worried. The others had stopped and were barely restraining themselves from crowding the kid. “Yeah,” Wally replies, wincing a little and reaching down to rub his knee. “Just ghost pain. Ran into the wrong kinda fight in one of the other dimensions.” Barry lowers him to the ground and helps him settle while Wally kneads his knee muscles, taking some deep breaths.

“I can call Doctor Snow,” Oliver offers, tentatively. Wally shakes his head, wincing a little as he finds a sensitive spot. “It'll go away soon. Flares up every now and then when I think back about how it happened.” Everyone except Len exchange concerned glances.

Len just shrugs and kneels down, reaching out and pulling Wally against him, lifting him up. “So what kind of ice cream do you like, kid?” he asks, diverting the concern over Wally to a lighter topic. He'd seen how nervous it was making the kid and if he had another little meltdown like he'd had before, Len wasn't sure he wouldn't ice something to get rid of all the anger boiling over it.

Wally smiles gratefully at Len as he starts walking towards the shop, letting the stragglers catch up behind him. “Well..” Wally begins, “Green tea chocolate is pretty dang good.”

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Credit for this chapter's idea comes from: FallenAngelBVB11 - Thank you~
> 
> Not sure about how slow or fast this chapter ended up but.. maybe it turned out okay? I got trapped in Wally's cuteness. Hope you enjoyed it! (Have no clue what's going to happen next, but we'll see?)
> 
> Hope you had a great Friday and that you have a wonderful weekend!


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Weather Wizard causes trouble. Although Flash and Bolt go after him, the hero at the end of the day is someone unexpected.

“Hold it!” Wally yelled as he skidded to a halt in front of Central City mall. It looked like it was mainly in pieces now. Hail was mixed with broken glass on the ground and some places looked scorched with heat.

Weather Wizard's eyes narrowed down at him, hovering in the air with a flurry of winds. “A kid?” he scoffed, looking down at the black clad boy. “How pathetic of Flash to rely on a _child.”_

Wally glared up at him, yelling, “Not a kid, Snow Globe!”

A low, broken laugh caught his attention and he looked over to see Flash push off a slab of concrete from his body with a slight wince. “Dang, kid. That's a good one, but what are you doing here?”

It didn't take a genius to see the way Flash grimaced when he tried to move a slab off his leg that it was broken. Wally felt for him. Breaking a leg was one of the worst things a Speedster could experience. It would heal, but it meant that a Speedster wouldn't be able to move until it did.

Weather Wizard growled fiercely. Wally was seriously regretting telling Len he'd wander around the city while they had their little Rogues meeting. He'd never bothered to get involved with their planning while he was in his dimension, so he was more than ready to skip along while they organized themselves.

He hadn't expected to find Weather Wizard causing issues an hour into his plan to become a wandering butterfly. 'Does Uncle Len know?' he couldn't help but wonder. The familiar sounds of a news helicopter echoed in the damp air. 'Well, if he doesn't, he will soon.'

His stomach gave a soft growl, reminding him why he'd stopped in the area in the first place. Wally's eyes darted along the mall and he almost whimpered at the sight. The place he'd gotten the soft pretzel the first time was destroyed. Soft pretzels littered the ground and Wally was horrified.

Weather Wizard was looking intently at Flash when he turned his attention back to the fight. Wally wasn't going to have that. “Hey! Aang-wannabe! Why don't you actually pretend you can handle a  _ kid _ instead of wanting to runaway?”

Lightning struck about a foot away from where Wally was before he moved. It made him flinch slightly, but he remained steadfast. “You stupid, kid. If you wanna be a hero, I'll make it so you're exactly like  _ him.” _

'Yikes!' Wally dodged another lightning bolt, determined not to get hit. 'Yikes, yikes, yikes!' A gust of wind hit him square in the chest and he flew back, hitting a brick portion of the wall.

'...Ow.'

His eyes widened as the wind let up and he fell down onto the ground a good five feet. “..Double ow.”

“Kid – move!”

Wally's head shot up, ignoring the pain in his body as a bolt of lightning came right at him. “Uh-oh!” He dove head first, using the wall to kick himself forward faster. Lights danced in his eyes as the lightning struck the brick.

“Pretty..” he contemplated for a moment as he saw a variety of colors. He gave his head a shake and raised an eyebrow as he looked up at the weather controller. “Yuck, ugly,” he grimaced with exaggeration.

Weather Wizard growled in annoyance and sent wind at him, throwing Wally into another wall, his head cracking the concrete with a splendidly loud sound. He saw stars as pain exploded in his head and his ears rang. Wally's body felt so heavy. 'Wh..wha's goin' on?' his brows furrowed with confusion.

'Oh…' he weakly thought with realization. He was pinned in midair with the wind holding him against the wall.

The meta-human grinned evilly at him. “Aren't you much cuter this way.” Wally groaned as the meta approached him. “Small. Silent. _Still.”_

_Chains. Drugs. Restraints. Hunger. Weakness._

Wally's eyes widened, glazing over as memories woke. His breath quickened and suddenly he wasn't seeing the Weather Wizard. It was Batman, it was his uncle, it was Superman.. It was Zoom.. it was everyone and yet only one. He whimpered.

Stomach rolling too much for his liking, Wally struggled as the winds kept slamming into him repeatedly, burning his exposed skin. “S-stop it..”

Weather Wizard raised an eyebrow. “How about 'no'? You're much more.. reachable when you're not running.”

“Stop!” Wally hears Barry yell. “Just leave him alone!”

The thief scoffs at Flash and raises a hand, lightning crackling in it. “Make me  _Flash.”_ he says with a smug, daring smile.

“No!” Barry yells, faltering in his attempts to move as he sees lightning strike the kid in the chest. Wally screams as it coats his body. It's only an _instant_ to the world, but to Barry it's right there. He sees every little twitch, hears the echo of every little bit of pain.

He's overwhelmed with anger when the wind lets up and Wally falls down onto the floor, limp and looking very much like a rag doll, because Barry can't let himself think about the other comparison that could be made. No – _wouldn't_ think about it.

“Mardon,” Barry hisses, his limbs tangling as he stands. There's a brief sensation of discomfort, but it's no longer a biting pain. His concern for Wally overpowers everything else and before Mardon can blink, he's in front of him.

“How _dare you!”_ Flash bites out. Mardon narrows his eyes at Barry and Barry could really care less about how hard he hits the meta-human. Mardon stumbles, but Barry's right there, another fist flying at him.

Lightning comes at him, but Barry simply sidesteps it, insides burning. He flashes forward again, slamming a punch to the villain's gut. He feels significantly satisfied when Mardon clutches his stomach, leaning forward.

Wind comes from behind him and Barry falls forward a little before it catches him and throws him back, lightning striking his chest making his heart stutter. He winces as he falls in a heap of limbs onto sharp glass.

Trying to get up, he hisses as his pain lances up his leg. He looks at it quickly, 'Broken, again.' Barry glares daggers at Mardon, who seems to be ignoring his own pain. 'Should've punched him harder,' Barry thinks bitterly.

A moan of pain grabs his attention and Barry's head snaps over to Wally, who seems to be struggling to sit up. “Kid!” Mardon seems to be turning his attention towards Wally again and Barry can't bare it to see the kid hurt anymore.

Mardon smirks at Barry, making a show of walking over to Wally. Barry wants to drop him into a volcano. No one would ever find him there.

“Oh kid.. Cisco! Where's Arrow!?” he yells into his comm. _“I don't know, man! He's driving as fast as he can!”_ Cisco's panicked voice answers him. Barry grits his teeth and pulls himself forward, glass stabbing him with each move. “Kid! Get up! Run!”

Wally blinks slowly. 'I don't feel so good…' He can hear Barry telling him to run, but he's not sure why. His vision is a little blurred and he squints. Weather Wizard is right there in front of him, walking slowly towards him.. “Oh..” he says weakly. “This is so much worse than that time with that lunatic.. At least he was fun..”

“Just in time,” the meta smiles down at him. It's not a nice smile. Wally tries to move, but his body shudders and freezes. There's pain, yes, but there's also a dull tingling that makes him feel kind of.. well.. paralyzed in a sense.

'Can't run.. Okay,' he swallows. “Are we playing with dolls? I have to tell you it's been a while since I've played with dolls, but as long as it's not Barbie. All her dolls are totally underweight. Sets a bad example to the kids.” He flinches when lightning races passed his head, stinging his cheek.

“Shut it, brat.” Winds rustle around him and grab him, hauling him into the air.

“Well, that's convenient. I'm guessing it's not dolls? Go-Fish? That game with the marbles?” He blinks when a hand backhands his cheek. He tastes blood in his mouth from accidentally biting his tongue.

“Guess the only way to shut you up is to kill you,” Weather Wizard decides with a glint of satisfaction in his eyes. Wally swallows hard and closes his eyes when Weather Wizard raises his hands. 'Oh, this is going to hurt.'

“HEY! NORTH WIND!”

Wally's eyes snap open as he, the meta, and Barry look over to where it came from. Captain Cold and the Rogues stand there. He recognizes Pied Piper, but there are a few who look a bit different, so he's not sure.

Mardon raises an eyebrow as he looks at Captain Cold and smiles, friendly, at the Rogues. Barry, though, he can see the layer of fury that's barely under control in Captain Cold's eyes. 'In _their_ eyes.' The other Rogues, even the ones he's sure don't know Wally look extremely pissed.

The meta doesn't seem to think anything's wrong when Captain Cold and the Rogues march over to him. “Cold, how nice of you to join. Just let me dispose of this little rat first and we can take care of the Flash,” Mardon remarks to Cold.

Len is furious when he sees Wally's head kind of loll to the side as the wind stutters for a moment, showing – _making a display_ – of the kid, beat and weak. He grits his teeth and swallows down his desire to ice Mardon for the moment because he's still got the kid.

Smiling, forced, Cold walks closer to Mardon and clamps him on the shoulder. “Why don't we take care of our grown-up Speed Demon first, eh? Give the kid a chance to watch a hero perish.”

Mardon seems to think on it, while Wally's eyes are wide and begging towards Len. Len can't answer though because he's one second away from taking the smallest chance to get Wally away from the crazy idiot. “We could,” Mardon says as he lets the wind set the kid down on the ground.

Wally looks so miserable and weak that Len has to stop himself from going to the kid right then and there. He can see Lisa's decision to screw it when she moves over to him, kneeling down beside him. She's beginning to reach out to him when he says something softly that makes Lisa gasp.

Cold focuses on the way Mardon turns to Flash, ready to destroy him, and Cold's moving and Heatwave's moving. Everyone's moving. When the first hit didn't knock Mardon out, Cold could see how happy Mick was to knock the bastard so hard he crumpled.

Len orders Piper, Mirror Master, and Shawna to grab the son of a bitch. Lisa's hugging Wally against her so tight, it makes Len worry a bit. When she looks up, she's got this broken sort of helpless look that she hasn't had in _years_ and it doesn't take him a two seconds to realized she knows.

She glares at Len. Probably for keeping it a second. He winces. It's going to be hard to get her to forgive him.

When Mick joins Lisa and she murmurs something softly, he sees Mick jerk up and spin, finger twitching on his gun and eyes ablaze. 'She told him.' It's hard enough to keep the fire lover from burning things without anger, but this is rage.

He steps between where the other Rogues have Mardon's unconscious body and between his vengeful friend. “You knew,” Mick growls, heatedly.

“I did,” Len admits with a twinge of guilt.

“You knew and you let him get hurt.” It's hard for Len to counter that argument because he _knew_ the kid had a hero complex. It was written on every bit of the kid, from his hero name to getting his abilities.

“I didn't know this was going to happen.” Mick scoffs, still too angry to listen properly. Len persists, “He was just going to hang out while we were meeting.” Len falters, “Mardon was supposed to be at the meeting.” That reminder kills a bit of Mick's anger towards Len, but he still wants to roast the breezey bastard.

Movement catches Len's eyes and he sees Arrow leaning down beside Flash, talking in a hushed, hurried voice. 'Slow poke.' When Arrow looks at him and then to Wally and back, Len inclines his head a little. He'll make sure the kid gets to STAR Labs ASAP.

Len finds himself kneeling beside Lisa, who's holding onto Wally, and Mick, who's standing watch. “Hey, kid,” Len gently says, internally wincing when he sees the glassy eyed look Wally throws his way. He'd been a bit more lucid when they'd arrived, but he figured it was all coming crashing down.

Wally's mouth opens and panic floods his eyes. “Ssh, it's okay,” he reaches out and rubs a soothing thumb on Wally's cheek. “It's okay. You're safe. It's okay,” he repeats. Wally swallows and nods a little, letting his eyes close.

“We need to get him to STAR Labs,” Len tells Lisa and Mick. Lisa composes herself, but he knows she's still angry with him. Her eyes flick over to the other Rogues and Mardon. “And _him?”_

“We leave him for the cops and take care of him later.” Mick's eyes flashed. “The new wing of Iron Heights will hold him while we're gone.”

Reluctantly, Mick agreed, reaching down to take Wally from Lisa's arms. He rested his forehead against Wally's through the material the kid wore for a moment. He looked back up to see the two grinning slightly. Gruffly, Mick questioned, “Don't we have to get to STAR?”

Len's amusement at Mick's warm hearted-ness faded and he nodded. Walking back over to the Rogues, “Tie him up and leave him for the cops. Sam, get everyone back to the safe house. We'll be there later.”

The Rogues were curious, but they did as he asked. When they left Arrow had Flash leaning on his shoulder, heavily. Len gathered he'd broken something, or somethings. Wally might've broken something too, but he wasn't sure.

“Labs,” Arrow growled in that low voice that made Len want to laugh at times. It was so ridiculous. This, however, wasn't the time to laugh. He nodded. “Car?” he asked. Arrow shook his head, “Bike.”

“Car.”

Flash's shoulder shook a little making Len and Arrow look at him curiously. He burst out laughing. “Oh my god, you two. An entire conversation of only one word at a time?” He laughed more. “You're like twins or something.”

Len rolled his eyes while Arrow gave him a disapproving look. “Let's get out of here.”

  


“Come on, Wally, I just need to take a peek,” Caitlin softly pleads. Wally just groans and curls even further in on himself, slowly. He doesn't want to be looked at. He's too tired and he's still feeling the panic fade away. It feels like all of his energy is being sucked away.

Mick exchanges a worried glance with Len. “Come on, sweetie. She just wants to make sure you're okay,” Lisa murmurs gently. With an afterthought, she adds, “We can have ice cream cake afterwards.”

Wally's head turns a little, his lower lip a little red from being chewed on. “.. ice cream cake?” Lisa smiles and nods. “You can even have a whole big one all to yourself,” she promises.

When the kid looks at Barry, who is currently the resident of another bed and an IV, he nods, smiling encouragingly. The growling of a stomach echoes and everyone looks at Wally. He smiles a little, embarrassed. “I guess I could eat..”

Caitlin narrows her eyes at him. “When was the last time you ate?” Wally tilts his head to the side, thinking. “About.. two hours ago? Three?” He looks at Len. “How long ago did we eat breakfast?”

Len winces as he thinks about it. “Four hours. Twenty-five minutes.” Wally curls his arms around his stomach as it makes a louder noise. “I could definitely eat.”

Lisa smiles at him and nudges him a little. “Then Caitlin's got to make sure you're good to go, okay sweetie?” Wally nods, nibbling his lip. Caitlin gives him a soft smile and he lets her check him out from head to toe, pulse and everything.

He gets to eat a box of characters while she's doing it to stave off his hunger. Wally bites his tongue about wanting to complain about it taking so long. He knows that although it feels slow to him, in reality it's going the average speed, maybe faster because Caitlin wants him to eat more.

Mick and Len ended up leaving to go get the ice cream cakes during the medical check so that Wally wouldn't have to wait as long. “Feeling okay, kid?” Oliver asks as Caitlin checks his eyes. Wally shrugs, “Yeah, 'm okay. Everything's working fine.”

His response is slightly dull, but Oliver understands that he's still weak and needs to eat more food. More food equals more energy. It also equals a happy speedster. At least, he's pretty sure, because Wally's not Barry, but they seem to be running on the same wave length anyways. 'I can't believe I just thought of that pun,' Oliver grimaces at himself.

“All done. You're a little weak and the tingling in your limbs should go away soon,” Caitlin said. “If not, I want you to tell me.” Wally nods diligently. “Kid, got the ice cream cakes!” Len calls from the door. It's amusing to see Mick and Len carrying five ice cream cakes a piece. Although Mick might've had six instead of five. Len was devious that way.

“Whoopie!” Wally hops off the table with a sound of excitement and flashes over to their side, body thrumming with anticipation. Mick chuckles, “Hold your horses, kid.” Lisa laughs softly as she and Cisco help maneuver the boxes of ice cream cake.

Barry's leg's healed by that time and they all sit around in the room, paper bowls and spoons all around. Barry and Wally have a box a piece though. It makes Lisa and Caitlin envious as they look over at the two Speedsters from their bowls.

Lisa leans over to Caitlin, “I suppose this isn't a good time to ask if their both cuter without the masks?” She points, subtly to Arrow and Flash. Caitlin raises an eyebrow and shrugs with a small smirk, “They're okay I guess.”

Cisco, who's sitting closest to the two women, snorts and ends up choking on a bite of ice cream cake. The guys all look at him with confusion and concern. The women, however, raise an eyebrow at him. “Don't worry, honey. You're adorable,” Lisa croons to him making Cisco blush red. Flash laughs, although he has no idea what the 'don't worry' part was about.

Wally smiles, watching as Len sends a glare at Cisco making him turn from red to white and suddenly become way more interested in his ice cream cake. “Uncle Len~” he warns with a sing song voice. Len looks at him and gives him a deadpanned look. It makes him laugh. He knows Len keeps those he loves close and if he doesn't approve of Cisco.. well.. He's going to have a hard life.

Despite the less than enjoyable morning, Wally can't help but enjoy his lunch of dessert. 'Perfect,' he thinks as he takes another bite. “I ordered a full meal from that home cooking restaurant, complete with five different veggies,” Caitlin speaks up. Barry and Wally groan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello lovely readers~  
> I'm so happy to be able to update this before the month ends. It's been a little hard to update things (due to various circumstances - pain, pressure, family issues), but hopefully I'll be working on the next chapter soon. Things are winding down for this dimension as Wally's starting to move on, but maybe two more chapters left before he heads off to the next dimension.
> 
> :) I made a tumblr for my fanfiction/love of heroes recently. It will contain ships (so please don't be surprised about that), but you're welcome to start a chat with me/message me about any of the fanfictions I've been writing. I might give you a hint of what's to come if I've got an idea I'm working on. (tumblr: tabihe)
> 
> Thanks for reading! I hope you had a good Monday and I hope the rest of the week is good.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Final chapter.  
> Wally spends time with everyone before he leaves.

Wally spends a night with Barry at Joe's house. He feels guilty that Iris wasn't there, but in a way he kind of didn't. It was a strange feeling to know that Barry and Iris weren't together – he wasn't even sure if they'd ever be. Personally, Wally thought that they were perfect together as a couple, but that had been _his_ own dimension. Things weren't the same here.

Joe had been nice to Wally, much like he would treat a son or a grandson. They had pizza, getting several kinds from different places. Barry had chattered on and on about his work and Wally listened intently. He'd always loved hearing about his uncle's work and what he did there. Uncle Barry was amazing after all.

Although Joe wasn't a fan, Barry and Wally had stayed up into the wee hours of the morning watching _Star Trek_ and snacking. Barry didn't have work the next day, so he insisted that he was going to take advantage of it. ..And he'd admitted to being a fan of micro-napping. Nap too fast for anyone but a Speedster to tell. Wally was a fan too.

They went out for breakfast to an all-you-can-eat buffet type place that catered to the everyone from the early risers to those that slept in. It had been wonderful. Sausages, pancakes, biscuits and gravy.. “The upside to looking average is that no one pays attention whether or not you eat a lot,” Barry had told him. “Just blend in and you can usually get away with white lies over little things.” Wally agreed, although white lies wouldn't cover up a starving Speedster's appetite.

A full stomach was followed by a sit down back at STAR Labs, away from the prying eyes and ears of the public. There they talked about their work as a masked hero and things they've accomplished, skill wise. They also winced as they discussed their first injuries as Speedsters.

Barry was both impressed and disturbed the hear how Wally had figured out the Other him, from Wally's home dimension, was Flash and had used the knowledge he'd gained to make himself into a Speedster. He made sure to scold Wally for such an act, but Wally waved it off. Barry supposed he'd already heard it before, but still.. He'd grown attached to the young Speedster.

He was also a bit shocked to hear about the age vs. appearance scales that appeared to change between dimensions. Cisco had chosen that moment to suggest a few theories, but Wally had shrugged and explained it as he knew it. Whether he was right or not was up for debate. He hadn't thought much on the topic since he'd had other, more important things to worry about.

Lunchtime was when Len, Lisa, and Mick joined them at STAR. “Wally~” Lisa cooed as he wrapped him in a hug and pressed a lipstick painted kiss on his temple. Mick chuckled when Wally made an exaggerated face over the action. Len raised an eyebrow at his sister when she pulled Wally onto her lap and snuggled him – _snuggled him_ – right then and there. It was even more amusing to see Cisco turn red when she winked at him.

Even Oliver arrived for lunch at STAR Labs. He had arrived a bit late, but there was plenty of food for everyone, since Cisco and Caitlin had taken care to get double two Speedsters' worth of food. They'd always appeared to be bottomless pits anyways when it came to eating. If there were leftovers, there wouldn't be any for long.

It was Chinese, which Wally was perfectly fine with. Cheap, bulk foods were all the rage for Speedster's and those catering to Speedsters. That wasn't a problem at all. It was yummy, so whatever. He did need to speak up a little. He had something he wanted to share.

“Something wrong?” Wally looked up to see everyone looking at him with concern. He nibbled his lip when he realized that he'd been eating exceptionally slow for a Speedster. Flash wasn't hiding his speed eating, however.

Wally cleared his throat a little, “Yeah.” He looked down at his sticky rice and took a big bite, swallowing it quickly for good measure. More concern. He finished the carton of rice. No one looked convinced.

Sighing, Wally set aside the empty box and ran his fingers through his hair. “I just...” Everyone lowered their food, setting it down on the floor/table, wherever they'd decided to sit. He hesitated, “I think I'll be leaving soon.”

“Where?” Cisco questioned. “-ow!” The scientist frowned at Caitlin, who was less than subtly glaring at him. “Oh! You mean, to another dimension?”

“No, I mean to Wonderland,” Wally quipped, teasing Cisco. Flash snorted at Cisco's light blush.

“You sure, kid?” Mick asked. He and Lisa had gotten the rundown of Wally's situation last night and neither of them had liked any of what they'd heard. They had seen Wally's reaction when they'd startled him and they absolutely hated it. Mick, personally, had promptly excused himself and set fire to an old, abandoned warehouse.

Wally smiled at Mick. It was a small, tight smile that looked like it might waver a tad if someone tugged a little too hard. Summoning his courage, Wally nodded. “Yeah,” he took a breath, “gotta keep looking for home, you know? It's out there. Somewhere. Taking me forever, but I'll find it.”

Len exchanged a look of concern with Oliver. Somehow they really had gotten into that whole body language, reading expressions stuff during the short time they'd been around each other. Neither would ever admit to liking it, but they would admit to enjoying Wally's company. Plus, they kind of saw the darkness that the others didn't quite see. Flash was ever the optimist despite the things he'd been through. They were.. pragmatic.

“And your PTSD?” Oliver gently voiced his concerns. Caitlin absolutely glared daggers at Oliver and Cisco and Flash shifted out of her line of fire in case she lunged for him. He would go down alone, that they made sure of.

“It's okay, Caitlin,” Wally assured the doctor, warmed at the sight of how caring she was being over him. She looked at him, doubtful, but he gave her a smile before looking back at Oliver. “I'll be okay,” he told Oliver bluntly. “I've been through..” he breathed out, heavily, “so much already. I thought things were rough before I got thrown into another dimension, but.. I've been through a lot and I'm actually a little surprised that I've managed to make it this far,” he admits.

“I'm not saying that there won't be lots of hard, possibly painful,” he winces at the possibilities, “times ahead of me, but there were plenty of times when I thought I wasn't going to make it already.” Wally looks at each one of them, so they know, so they can see his eyes.

“I was.. shot with arrows,” he nodded towards Oliver, watching the archer's eyes darken. “I've had a hand vibrate through my body and tear my insides apart,” he leans a little towards Flash's directions. Flash's shoulders sag. “And I've been held prisoner and tortured, but I've survived.”

“There was one dimension.. the 7th one that I went to, where none of us,” he gestured at everyone, “existed. There were heroes, but.. they weren't like us. They were different. Their world was so so different. It's where I injured my knee, but it's also where I met so many kind people.”

Wally smiled at them, nudging Lisa's middle a little and peering up at her shyly. “It's where I met you.” He looks over at the others, “All of you.” Everyone can't help but melt a little at Wally's words. “There are some pretty shitty dimensions out there, but there are also some pretty amazing ones,” he tells them. I don't want you to think I'm leaving here to go get my ass kicked, because believe me, I can kick ass too.”

Flash scowls at Wally's language, but Wally ignores him, grinning a little. “The next dimension could be good or bad, happy or sad, painful or joyful. I don't know, but I have to try.” His face twists in a blue determination. “I miss you,” he says looking at Flash. “I miss _my_ you.” His eyes trail over Len, Mick and Oliver. “All of my yous. I miss my friends and my family. _I miss my home.”_

“One way or another, I want to make it back there. I want to go home,” he bites his lip, hands shaking slightly at just how badly he wants to go home, to see them again, to be _safe_ again.

It's silent; no one moves. For a moment, Wally thinks he's frozen again. He thinks time has stopped, thinks his heart is beating out of his chest.

And then.. he feels arms around him, someone tugging him against them and he blinks. Barry's pulled him against him, hugging him close and tightly, yet ever so gently. It's warm. It's familiar. It feels _safe._ But it's not home.

“It's okay, Wally,” Barry murmurs against his hair, kissing his head lightly. “We understand.” Wally hugs Barry tightly, clinging to him for almost ten Speedster minutes before he peeks out from his hold and looks at everyone else. They're smiling at him.

“Damn, kid. Just blow anyway all of our worries, why don'tcha?” Mick huffs, grinning fondly at him. Wally grins back, retorting, “Just my special skill.”

Lisa and Caitlin tug Wally from Barry's arms and they take turns snuggling him against their chests, petting his hair and kissing his face. Cisco gives him an understanding thumbs up and a wink.

“Alright you two,” Len drawls, pulling Wally from Lisa's arms. “Give the kid some air.” Lisa raises an eyebrow at him and smirks, “As if you didn't want to hug him too.” Len scoffs, cheeks slightly red as he ignores his sister.

“I'm not going to try and stop you, kid. Nobody is,” Len tells Wally, hand on his shoulder. “We can't, technically. It's just that we've all grown quite.. fond of you.” He gestures towards Oliver. “Even the guy with an arrow up his ass likes you.”

Wally can see that Oliver, behind his Arrow persona, looks slightly offended, but can't refute Len's claim about being fond of Wally.

“We can't help but be a bit concerned,” Oliver pipes up. “You've been through a lot already. More than all of us might ever go through. We just want to make sure you're safe.”

Cisco speaks up, “I've been working on something that might help.” Everyone looks at Cisco, curious. “Yeah, man. There's this thing, with my powers that I think I can connect to another dimension and use it to make a call.”

“You mean like a phone call?” Barry questions, brows furrowed as he tries to think this through. Cisco holds out his hands, lifting and lowering his hands, palm up like a scale. “Mayyyybe?”

“What are you thinking?” Len questions. Cisco sets his food aside and pulls his seat up. “Okay, so.. I think I can track Wally's energy signal to whichever dimension he's in and,” he makes a gesture with his hands over his head like a headset, “with this headset type thing I made, I think I can project my conscious to a computer system wherever Wally is.”

Everyone looks awed. “I mean, he'll have to modify whatever system he's got on hand and all that, but he's pretty smart. I can show him what it'll be like,” Cisco makes sure to add.

“And how would this.. phone call show? Like, how would he know you're trying to get in touch with him?” Lisa contemplates.

“Since I'm using his energy to lead me to him, it'll be like.. a ring? Maybe?” Cisco shrugs helpless. “I'm not really sure what it'll be like for him, but I'm 97% sure that he'll know.”

There are some uneasy looks, but Wally simply shrugs. “I'm game,” he tells them. “I'd hate to never get to talk to you again.” He looks a little red in the face, but everyone doesn't point it out for him.

“Us too,” Caitlin assures him with a loving smile.

“When are you thinking about leaving?” Len wonders. Wally shifts, nervously. “Today..? Well.. tonight. If that's okay,” he quickly adds on. Len ruffles Wally's hair. “That's just fine, kid,” he tells Wally.

“How about we finish up here and spend the rest of the day having fun?” Cisco suggests. Wally beams at him and no one can say 'no' to that.

They finish eating and decide to spend the rest of the day just hanging out. Barry steals Wally away for an hour and they patrol the city together. It's awesome. Then Oliver steals Wally from Barry and _they_ patrol the city together. Barry looks oddly dissatisfied.

Len, Mick, and Lisa end up grabbing Wally while he's on patrol with Oliver and take him to the bar for a little while. Oliver and Barry find Wally an hour later playing pool and beating Mick into the ground. Len can't help but be proud of the fact that his Other self taught Wally pool.

Barry and Oliver had seemed a bit ticked, but seeing Mick curse and fuss over getting his butt whooped by a kid? That somehow makes it all better.

Lisa treats Wally to a delicious bucket parfait like they have in Japan. It's about the size of a pail with different flavors of ice cream, sorbet, waffles.. Heaven in a cup. A very, very big cup. With fruit. And it's absolutely perfect.

She giggles when he gets strawberry sauce on his face and makes a show about wiping it off, winking at him. Wally blushes to the roots of his hair and takes a big bite of the parfait, trying not to look at her. She's looking at him too much like one would look at a cute, baby animal.

Also she seems to by physically restraining herself from kidnapping him.

Only Len's sister.

They have a meal back at Star Labs for dinner. It's actually some pretty fancy food that Wally is not going to question at all. It probably cost a fortune and from the way it smells, he knows it's worth its weight in money. He has a feeling someone pulled some strings.

Cisco ends up dragging – well, no. Not dragging, because Wally's actually really interested and excited to see how he can keep in touch with his new friends. So, he went willing – stealing a plate of garlic sticks to snack on – so that Cisco could explain the process of how to rewire a computer enough so that his powers can connect with it.

It's pretty complicated, but Wally manages to keep up. He's a little worried about the “ringing” of Cisco's superpower-dimension-crossing-phone, but.. however it works, he'll do it.

“He'll be fine,” Oliver sighs while Barry fidgets anxiously. “Yeah, but what if he's not? What if someone hurts him?” Barry worries.

“Then we ice them.” They turn and look at Len, who has his arms crossed, looking kind of dark with his narrowed eyes. Barry frowns, but Oliver nods in agreement. “Or feather them,” he tacks on.

“Or burn them.”

“Or encase them in gold.”

“Or shove twizzlers down their throats.”

Everyone looks at Cisco strangely. His lower lip juts out and he pouts, “What? Death by twizzlers. It'd be one hell of a way to go.” Caitlin rolls her eyes. “Sure sweetie,” Lisa pats Cisco's shoulder. “It sounds horrendous.” Cisco looks so red, no one has the heart to tell him that it sounds ridiculous actually.

“Well!” Wally stretches, empty plates and dishes in front of him. “That was a good meal.” He'd purposefully eaten slow so that he could keep pace with everyone else (minus Barry, because Speedster).

“Are you sure you don't want dessert?” Lisa asks for the fourth time. Wally shakes his head. “Ow!” Lisa rubs her head after Len swats her. “Lisa,” he drones, “Wally can't stay here forever.” She pouts, but relents, instead hugging Wally tightly.

Mick pulls Lisa away so that he can hug Wally. “Be safe, kid.” Even Oliver and Len hug Wally, although they both look a tad awkward like that. Cisco takes pictures.

“I'll be okay,” Wally promises them. 'At least, as much as possible.' There's an unspoken undertone of concern, but no one mentions it or even hints at it. “I'll miss you all,” he mutters as he gives each of them one last hug.

“You can come back whenever you want to,” Barry assures him with a bright smile. “Anytime, no questions asked.”

Wally's body thrums with energy, static snaking down his limbs. “Thanks, Uncle B! Thanks everyone!” He smiles brightly at them, feeling so much better than he had in a while.

He turns around towards the exit, waving behind him just once more and lets all the building energy loose. Suddenly, he's flying free of the building, running faster and faster. His body trembles with each step, sizzles with power. Everything fades away and then… he's gone.

  


“Huh.” Barry looks after him with awe on his face. “He called me, 'Uncle B'.” Len raises an eyebrow, “He called me 'Uncle Len'.” Barry looks instantly upset. “Hey now. I'm his uncle first and foremost!” Barry protests.

“Oh yeah? Well then how come he hugged me longer than you and called me 'uncle' first?” Len smirks.

“That doesn't mean anything, Len! Len! I said, it doesn't mean anything!” Barry calls after Len, who's making his way out of Star Labs, quite pleased with himself about starting an argument with Barry. “You hear me, Len!?”

Barry mutters to himself, “Wally likes me best.” Caitlin pats his arm with a sympathetic look, saying, “Of course he does.” She's not really convincing but Barry takes it anyways.

He's looking at the last place Wally stood, lonely. “Don't worry, Barry. I'm sure we'll see him again sometime,” Cisco tells him. Barry looks up at Cisco, “Yeah?”

Cisco nods, “Yeah.”

Barry believes it. If not, well… he'll just have to learn to run through dimensions too. There's no way he's said 'good-bye' for good. Nope. Wally would always be one of a kind to him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been sitting on this final chapter forever. Not like.. Well, I didn't have it all written up before, but the fact that there was only one more chapter left.
> 
> Anyways. I'm not sure how this last chapter ended up. Maybe it went too fast or had too little detail.. I'm not sure. I really hope you enjoyed this installment in the "Where Home Lies" series. Absolutely loved the interactions between Len and Wally in this. That was so much fun to write.
> 
> More to come with this series, so stick around, I hope.  
> Thanks for reading~
> 
> Tumblr: tabihe

**Author's Note:**

> I am so so sorry for not adding this sooner. Personally I like the beginning this one has and am planning a few other prequel type stories for "Comfort Me", but I've been so spread out with all the fanfics I've started (and not finished yet) and I still don't have my computer (frowny face).
> 
> Anyways, for those of you who enjoyed "Comfort Me", I hope you enjoy this as well.


End file.
